Whispered Secrets of the Past
by The Shojo Otaku Writer
Summary: Lucy and Natsu venture together on a job offer to escort a mysterious and beautiful young widow. But what secrets and past events of this woman's life remain unspoken of, and what do they have to do with Lucy?
1. A Mission: Words He Would Regret

A Mission: Words He Would Regret

It was another morning of accidental destruction at the Fairy Tail guild for Lucy Heartfilia, who attempted to feign ignorance toward the obnoxious members fighting, drinking, cheering and breaking everything around them. She leaned her head against the bar, while Mirajane looked on, her usual amused expression lighting up her delicate features, as she filled a mug of coffee for her blonde friend.

"Thanks, Mirajane…" Lucy sighed heavily, drawing the mug of boiling liquid to her lips and downing half the glass in one shot. "Honestly, how do you deal with these maniacs day in and day out...?"

"You know, I sometimes ask myself that same question," Mirajane giggled at Lucy's apparent exhaustion from just the competitive atmosphere. "But I guess it's because that, in truth, I admire their fiery spirits."

Lucy was silent as she reached again for her coffee cup, and wondered glumly to herself whether or not she would make the month's rent, the original reason for her less than energetic mood.

"Lucy!" A familiar, warmer than the average human arm, had been thrown over Lucy's shoulder, causing her to spill her hot beverage all over the bar table, much to the surprise of both her and Mirajane. Lucy twisted around in her seat to find none other than the biggest hothead of the lot, Natsu, grinning into her face, his eyes sparkling with ambition of some kind.

"Now look what you've done, Natsu!" Lucy stood up, her expression crossed between furious toward the boy and apologetic toward Mirajane, who was already mopping up the mess while holding back her laughter.

"No need to get upset, Lu-lu." Natsu smirked at the girl and her immediate and apparent disapproval concerning the way he addressed her. "I just wanted to ask if you were interested in taking on a job with me and Happy."

"I dunno…" Lucy bit her lip, unsure if she was in the mood to handle the boy's boisterous attitude for a prolonged period of time, but how else would she be able to pay up her rent at the end of the month?

"Come onnnn," Natsu clapped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "It'll be more fun if you join in, Lucy!"

The blonde sighed heavily, before finally giving a small, hesitant nod. Natsu leapt a foot in the air, a bright smile spreading over his face before he dragged Lucy from the bar so they stood before a large bulletin board, where job requests were pinned up, overlapping each other.

"You pick one," Natsu pointed at the papers, some laminated, others written on tiny, crinkly scraps of parchment. "It's your turn, after all."

The girl lazily grazed her finger along the different options, taking note of the reward amounts for each offer, before she finally ripped a particularly aged cut of yellow paper from the board: an escort application.

"Escort?" Natsu blinked at the paper that evening as he and Lucy sat at the end of a rowdy table. "Who are we escorting?"

"I made a call earlier today," Lucy explained. "Her name is Izayoi, and she's had trouble finding escorts ever since her husband passed away."

"Why's that?" Natsu inquired. Lucy shrugged in response as she rummaged in her purse before pulling out a photo of a beautiful woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She was dressed modestly in an elaborate black dress that fell all the way to her ankles while tiny black leather boots stuck out from under the skirt. Her blonde hair was done up in a twisted, half-hearted bun, for rebellious strands of the hair had escaped to curl around her face, which was concealed almost completely by a black, cobweb-like netting that dangled from the edge of her old-fashioned hat. Her unsmiling lips bore the color of a deep, crimson red, as if the she had been trying to make up for the fair, porcelain-colored skin that made her look almost dead.

"Her sister didn't say much," Lucy continued. "Apparently, she's been ostracized by the town she lives in, and no one will have anything to do with her."

"The reward money is pretty generous…"

"Her husband was the heir to a large sum of money and an ancient mansion. Naturally, all of that was passed on to her when he died. While alive, he was well-liked by most people in the town. Izayoi was shy though, and didn't really relate to people that well."

"Makes you wonder why he picked her as a wife, huh?"

"You are so not romantic at all!" Lucy rolled her eyes as she snatched back the paper. "I think it's wonderful! He could have chosen any woman in that town, but he picked her! It's obvious that they had a deep, unbreakable bond!"

"Yeah, whatever you say, Lu-lu," Natsu rocked hazardously on the bench across the table from his teammate, who shot him an exasperated side-glance.

"You're hopeless…" She muttered.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Natsu replied. "But if I'm hopeless, what does that make you?"

"What do you mean by that?" Lucy asked, feeling suddenly defensive by his words.

"What do you think it means?" Natsu toyed with her, a smirk on his mouth. "Come on Lu-lu, you have to get this a lot, right? I mean aren't you interested in anyone in the guild?"

"Huh?" Lucy now blinked in a confused gesture; the query was unexpected.

"You know, like potential boyfriend material?" Natsu elaborated. "Anyone that catches your eye? A man-fancy, maybe?"

"Man-fancy?" Lucy frowned at the questions. "I don't understand."

"Don't play dumb," Natsu grinned, playfully punching her on the arm from across the table. "Or do you seriously not care about being single?"

Lucy stood up from her seat on the bench, so abruptly that Natsu's bench landed hard on all fours. He looked up at the girl, whose face turned swiftly away from him before he could see the look in her eyes. She then readied herself to retreat from the guild's headquarters, and from the onlookers who had stopped whatever they had been involved in to watch the tense scene unfold.

"What gives you the right to talk about me like that?" Lucy snapped, "Are you under the false impression that you can comprehend what has never been explained or confided to you?" She glanced back over her shoulder at the pink-haired boy, tears forcing their way to rest on her lower eyelashes.

"H-Hey, Lucy," Natsu's eyes widened in realization, "I-I didn't mean that-!"

"I can complete this mission without your help," Lucy interrupted him, "Don't bother yourself with me."

Without another word or look in Natsu's direction, Lucy left the stunned members of the guild behind her.

* * *

**i know guyss...it's been a while..(if any of my old faithful readers are still out there waiting for my stuff, i just wanna sayyy...^_^ hi! i've missed you!) i just couldn't get anything going for fanfictions. lost my inspiration, i'm sure a lot of you know what i'm talking about. And just everyday life got really crap lol. huge knots of problems that still need to be fixed, but hopefully everything will be ok. I like to think that wen things get difficult: "sooner or later, everything will be fine, and you may even forget these problems existed". And it's been true so far ^_^ anyway, I have completely fallen for this couple. Except its got about as many pairing moments as Naruto...(so its like...non-existent for now). But if the author is going for a similar ending as his last series (rave master) then this couple is more than likely going to happen. I'm still continuing with the Miroku/Kagome fanfic, but for now, im really feeling this couple, so updates right now for that fanfic are being post-poned! Hope you enjoyed listening 2 my rambling (and the beginning of my fanfic!) Luv you all! **


	2. A Breathless Apology

BAM!

"Ow!" Natsu shielded the top of his head from Erza's hard fists. "What'd I do!"

"You imbecile…" Erza sighed, glaring down at Natsu's defensive position. "You aren't the least bit sensitive to anyone's situations except your own! Then you go and say something as stupid as that…"

"What are you talking about!" Natsu pouted at the fiery-haired woman, who stepped aside as Mirajane approached them. "I didn't say anything that offensive, did I?"

"Natsu, you have to be more aware of others' perspectives." Mirajane intervened when Erza made a sudden threatening movement toward the boy again. "Lucy's whole life had been planned out for her when she lived with her father. For all we know, she could have been pushed on men all the time if it benefitted her family's wealth and position. That's why Lucy may have been upset. She most likely felt that you were passing her off as easy and desperate."

"But I wasn't-!" Natsu protested as he stood up, facing Mirajane, as if doubting whether she would believe him. She gave a small smile, and patted him on the shoulder.

"I know you weren't," She spoke in a condescending tone of voice. "But you need to apologize to Lucy. Judging by the way she responded, I'm sure she has scars that she won't confide to even you, so try to understand how she feels."

Natsu sighed as he rubbed the back of his head, where a bruised bump had already formed, thanks to Erza.

"Happy, stay here, ok?" Natsu paused at the doors of Fairy Tail to bid these words to the hovering blue cat that blinked in surprise at this order. "I have to do this on my own."

"Aye, sirrrrr," Happy purred, half teasing, before giggling to himself as he drifted back toward the bar table to await his master's return.

Outside, the cold autumn wind blew futile against the flame wizard, who thought of nothing but Lucy's possible whereabouts.

After checking her apartment and her favorite restaurant, he headed toward the last place he could think of, the station, where he was sure that Lucy would sooner or later catch a train to wherever that "Izayoi" lady lived.

As he finally reached the train station, he looked around for the familiar blonde head he had come to know so well, and when he affirmed that she wasn't in the area, he knocked on the window of the ticket inspector's box, and inquired about a young girl who may have passed through.

"Blonde girl, huh?" the ticket man scratched the top of his head, deep in thought. "She didn't have huge boobs did she?"

"Oh, yeah." Natsu nodded. "That's our Lu-lu…"

"She's already boarded the train, kid. It's leaving in a few minutes."

"Great! One ticket please!"

"You got it." The ticket-man grinned as he passed a ticket stub to Natsu, who in turn threw the fare at him and took off in the direction of the waiting train, his ticket clutched tightly in his hand.

Steam that was being emitted periodically from the train clouded the faces of the few people that had not yet boarded the train. Natsu barreled on past the civilians, ignoring their angry shouts and protests that seemed muffled in his ears. He only slowed down when he reached the center aisle between the two rows of passenger compartments. He began to check every section of the train as he stomped purposefully forward, bursting through door after door, apologizing repeatedly for intruding on the strangers that glared at him for waking them up, frightening a baby, or interrupting their quiet work environment.

Finally, in the very back of the train, Natsu recognized the familiar blonde side-ponytail tied by a pink ribbon. Once he came to a hesitant stop in front of the door, he released a breath of air against the glass of the door's window, accidentally fogging it up as he did so. He then slid the divider aside, and stumbled forward. The girl had, until then, been staring unseeingly out at the people in the slowly emptying station outside.

"Lucy!" Natsu now gasped as he tried to catch his breath, his dark eyes wide with sudden relief.

Lucy slowly turned her head in his direction, her eyes red, but otherwise dry of any tears. She looked as though she was coming out of a daydream as she stared blankly at him for a few moments before recognition filled her gaze.

"Natsu?" Lucy frowned, her expression that of utter confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Me? I've been all over town looking for you, stupid idiot!" Natsu said between breaths. "I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not!"

"Why's that? I said I could handle it. There's no reason for you to tag along."

"Why?" Natsu gaped at the girl as if she truly was ignorant of common sense. "Because you're my teammate!"

Although her attitude towards him hadn't changed since she had snapped at him earlier that day, a feeling of genuine admiration warmed her heart as she locked her gaze on the determined, stubborn boy who stood huffing and puffing in the threshold of her compartment, until she finally yielded to him with an dramatic sigh and made room for him on the bench opposite her, kicking aside her travel gear so that a space was provided for him to sit. Natsu glanced cautiously at Lucy's face before determining it was safe to sit down; however, he was unsure whether or not it was ok to say anything more. Lucy returned to staring out the window, her legs crossed and her arms resting in her lap. After a short period of time, she spoke, although she did not turn to look at him.

"I know you probably didn't mean anything by what you said earlier," She spoke so softly that Natsu had to lean in to catch what she said. "And I'm sorry I just blew up like that without giving you an explanation."

"It's ok, you don't have to explain-!" Natsu waved his hands in front of him, frightened that at any moment Lucy's cold, neutral expression would crumble and she would burst into tears. "Besides, I'm the one who should be apologizing right now." Lucy fixed her eyes in his direction at these unexpected words. "I was out of line, and I wasn't thinking straight…" Natsu continued as he bowed his head low in a repentant gesture. "I'm really sorry."

"Forget about it, ok?" Lucy finally cracked a smile, and Natsu felt himself relax into the cushioned bench. He grinned back at her, but his face fell abruptly in sudden realization.

"Oh no…," He mumbled. "I forgot…"

"What is it, Natsu?"

"I didn't come prepared for a trip like this," He slapped his hand to his face. "I don't have any cash or supplies with me."

Lucy smirked at the grumbling boy, thinking of how recklessly he had acted just to force his company on her and get the chance to apologize.

"Don't worry about it, you'll be fine." Lucy spoke in a nonchalant, care-free voice.

"No wayyyyy!"

* * *

**i am not exactly sorry for disappearing 4 so long...because well...in the time i havent been on...i was able to GRADUATE. HIGH. SCHOOL. AND GET EVERYTHING PACKED AND READY FOR MY MOVE TO SCOTLAND. yea. THATS RIGHT. scotland...haha say it like the hyenas in the lion king say "mufasa" thats how epic it feels. im finally getting out of this shitty suburban hell! yea! hell YEA! anyway, expect more updates now that everything is out of the way for now :) hope u can still love me...**


	3. The Unnamed Escort

Once stationed in the town of Balsam, Lucy struggled off the train, carrying both her travel bag and her motion-sick teammate along to the exit. Natsu mumbled a question that could have been deemed incoherent, had Lucy not known him long enough that she had developed the listening skills necessary to understand him in this state.

"Is someone coming to meet us…?" He had asked.

"Yeah, a car is supposed to be picking us up," At the mention of a car, Natsu retched violently, while Lucy rolled her eyes at the pathetic sight. "From there, we will be taken to Izayoi's residence, and receive details on the mission."

"Great…" Natsu grumbled darkly, clinging to Lucy with the little strength that remained after the three hour train ride. Lucy scanned the crowded station until her eyes fell upon a smartly dressed elderly man holding a sign that read: "Fairy Tail Wizard: Lucy H". The blonde waved at the man, and made her way over to him (with some difficulty, as Natsu was now purposefully dragging his feet to delay being put into another form of transportation).

"Miss Lucy, I presume?"

"Yes sir," Lucy nodded. "Oh, and this is my friend Natsu. He decided to accompany me at the last second. I hope this won't cause any trouble on your behalf."

"Not at all, I was told that you may be bringing an extra person with you."

"Huh? Who told you that?" Lucy wondered aloud. "Did our guild contact you?"

"Anyway, we should be off, Lady Izayoi is waiting." The man ignored the query completely, and led the way to an old vintage-style car that reflected sunlight off its black, shiny surface. He promptly opened the car door for Lucy, who first dumped Natsu unceremoniously into the backseat before sitting comfortably in the front (leather-covered) passenger side of the car, her bit of luggage resting on her legs.

"May I ask your name?" Lucy asked, breaking the awkward silence that was beginning to descend upon the automobile as they rumbled down a road and past a busy marketplace.

"I am just a simple chauffeur, my lady," The driver replied in monotone. "Do not concern yourself with unimportant details such as my name."

"M-my lady!" Lucy was irked at the formal title given to her. "T-There's no need to address me like that! I'm no one special, I assure you!" The truth was that the title reminded her too much of her old life living as an heiress. She most certainly did not wish to be designated in this manner, especially after the unpleasant closure she went through with her father.

"Oh, but I must," The gentleman replied insistently. "Ti's what Lady Izayoi commands, and I do not disregard orders, no matter the situation."

"I see…" Lucy sighed, "She must be an amazing lady for you to respect her to such a degree."

"She has been good to us for many years, and is a good, kind woman." He answered point-blank.

"Wow," Lucy smiled at the twinkle in the man's eye as he said this. "I can't wait to meet her."

As they continued to drive forward, Lucy watched apprehensively as the road steadily transformed from straight and smooth to bumpy and twisted. The trees on either side of them grew thicker the farther they went, and the bushes and underbrush more tangled and wild. The populace of people diminished almost as if a certain point existed that prevented them from venturing farther out into this darker part of their town.

Just as Lucy was wondering if this creepy winding road would ever end, they came to a sudden stop before an intimidating iron-welded gate that held shut by an oversized, rusty lock. Beyond the gate, one could see nothing but a dense, gray fog. The driver put the car in park and climbed out. Lucy followed.

Once approached, it was apparent that this was no ordinary lock. Embedded over its cold, metal surface were bizarre, overlapping symbols, and the fixture lacked an important detail that all locks had in common with each other. A keyhole. Lucy looked up in wondrous confusion at the impressive barrier, and then turned to the one who had driven them to such an imposing estate.

"So…" Lucy crossed her arms. "Are we going in?"

"One moment please," He replied quietly. "First, if you would please place your right hand here…" He spoke, gesturing toward the outlandish "lock" dangling before them.

Lucy silently obliged, and as soon as her palm was pressed against the mysterious object, a gash appeared across the underside of her hand, causing her to gasp in pain. She would have jerked herself away, had it not been for the spell that held her in place. She let out a panicked squeal in finding herself unable to move away and began to struggle.

"Lucy!" Another voice bellowed, and in her peripheral vision, she recognized a blaze of unruly pink hair dash in her direction. At the same moment, she was released from the binding magical spell and was blasted back into Natsu, who managed to catch and steady her.

The blonde mage shakily leaned on her friend, stunned at what had just taken place. Natsu, meanwhile, was so furious he looked as though he would burn their guide to a crisp where he stood.

"You scum…" Natsu snarled. "What did you hope to accomplish with a stunt like that!"

In answer to his fiery words, the older man stepped forward and through the gateway, disappearing completely from view. Natsu stared wide-eyed at the place where the unnamed man had vanished, before glancing down at Lucy, who began to speak.

"Natsu," She whispered. "Something tells me we should follow him."

"What?" Natsu looked at her in disbelief. "You really think so?"

"Yes. There's something about this place…" Lucy continued. "It's just a feeling, and it's hard to explain, but I think that it's safe."

"I dunno…" Natsu murmured, watching as blood dripped down from Lucy's hand and pooled into the dirt road beneath their feet.

"Come on!" She regained her lost balance and stood in front of the gates. "I've read about this magic somewhere before. It's just an illusion," She stretched out her bloody hand through the invisible wall, still shaking from the recent shock, and then held out her other hand for Natsu, who frowned uneasily up at the menacing, spiked metal bars that made up the entrance. "You trust me right?" Lucy smirked at the boy, who immediately nodded and grasped her hand in his. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she did so, but then grinned at him until he returned the expression.

And then, together, they disappeared onto the other side of the magical threshold, both unsure of what could possibly be waiting for them next.

* * *

**ta-da! c, i didn't abandon you for too long this time did i? i'm on a bit of a role, and I'm super excited as to where this is going. im playing with the idea that there may be sequel(s) to this story. Theres a lot more i want to write, so I may be doing that :) Do you like this chapter? i tried to be detailed, but not Jrr Tolkein detailed...was it 2 much, 2 little? tell me! im trying to work on my pacing, so let me know if i can improve on anything! again, thank u all so much for reading! I'll be back with more soon!**


	4. The Coveted Home of Izayoi

Beyond the Gate: The Coveted Home of Izayoi

Lucy pulled Natsu easily through the magical barrier, and let his hand drop out of her own as they gaped together at the sight that now met their eyes.

"Wow…" Lucy breathed in exclamation at the ancient, majestic manor that resembled more of a historical landmark or castle than the home of a young widow.

Surrounding the entire perimeter of the house was a well-kept lawn, packed with a colorful array of flowers and plants. Only a narrow path that led up to the vast entrance was clear of any type of shrubbery. Beyond the widow's domain, a modern garden maze made up high, dark green hedges snaked in a complicated system of twists and turns, and eventually opened up to a wall of shadowy, thick forest trees, overflowing with undergrowth and thick vines and thorny branches. Lucy noted that the forest that bordered the edge of Izayoi's land gave off an unexplainable eerie aura, as if it was almost alive.

"Man, this lady sure has it made," Natsu whistled, breaking Lucy out of her observing gaze. "This place is completely cut off from the outside world."

"Sure is…" Lucy replied, feeling a slight tingle of nostalgia at the extravagant amount of property.

The pair awkwardly approached the magnificent entrance, and hammered hesitantly upon the oversized, solid-gold knocker. The door was answered fairy quickly, revealing a middle-aged woman dressed in a modest black dress and white apron. She bowed low and beckoned them inside with an elegant waver of her hand.

"Natsu Dragoneel and Lucy Heartphilia," the maid spoke in a monotone. "Lady Izayoi has been expecting you. Follow me please."

"O-Ok…" Lucy swallowed. She never gave her last name out to her employers, so how did this maid have it? She wanted to ask, but decided against it. The atmosphere she detected when she stepped over the threshold had an overwhelming, intimidating pressure, and she couldn't help but think it was only appropriate to speak in low voices if there was a need to speak at all. As she and Natsu, who, although usually quite dense, seemed to grasp his surroundings for once and had remained just as silent as her, tailed the maid deeper into the house, they made it a point to walk as quietly as possible so as not to break the trance-like, mysterious state of the house.

The house seemed even larger on the inside, although they only saw a small fraction of it. As they were led by the maid to where Izayoi was waiting, both Lucy and Natsu couldn't help but stumble a few times as they walked. There wasn't a single brightly illuminated hall or room in view. Only the candles that were posted along the walls and the light that filtered in through the glass windows allowed them to see two feet in front of them. As they ventured deeper inside, the air around them grew older, mustier.

They finally came to a halt in front of a set of old double doors. The maid knocked twice, poked her head into the room for a short moment, and proceeded to made way for the Fairy Tail team. Lucy swallowed, and shuffled through the doors, her nerves, already high-strung, tightening up again considerably. Obviously the woman they were dealing with had history, not to mention money, and maybe even power. As Lucy lifted her head she was baffled by the bookshelves that lined the walls and reached to the ceiling. They were in the library. Lucy's expression, which had been furrowed with an intense curiosity, settled to a quiet awestruck gape. She stood rooted to the spot near the door, just staring at the incredible collection of literature surrounding her, until a voice called out in a light-hearted voice, "Would you care for some tea?"

Lucy tore her eyes away from the walls of books and lowered her gaze to a woman who was seated at a table by the back window. The dull light seeping in through the glass behind her shone upon the table, reflecting light on the widow, who was sipping her beverage in such an elegant fashion it seemed almost practiced. Natsu was already sitting on the opposite side of her, awkwardly twirling his teaspoon in his own cup.

"Y-Yes please…" The blonde mage blushed, crossing the room to sit beside her partner and directly across from the young woman, whose face, like her picture, was hidden beneath the old-fashioned netting attached to her hat. Even her hands were layered in soft dark, silk gloves, and her sleek black dress of sophisticated ruffles fell around her ankles. All that was truly visible of the woman was the porcelain skin from the neck up, and her crimson red lips that were set in a modest smile as she poured Lucy's cup of tea.

"Sugar?" Izayoi inquired.

"Yes please."

They all sat in silence for a while, sipping their hot drinks and glancing out the window or around the room. Natsu however refused to stop looking at Izayoi, who either did not notice or just didn't care. Lucy was about to kick him under the table as a reminder to remember his manners, but before she could, Izayoi spoke.

"Thank you for coming," She spoke in an airy tone, "I hope the journey here was smooth."

"Yes, it was-" Lucy nodded, before Natsu interjected.

"Until we got to the gates at least-"

"Natsu-!" Lucy hissed, embarrassed at her friend's lack of etiquette.

"Ah, yes," Izayoi sighed, as if she had fully expected this outburst. "I apologize. It's very old magic you see. In fact, it was cast upon the gate before I was even born. I would like to do away with it, but I regret that the charm to undo this protection is lost to us."

"What's its purpose though?" Natsu asked.

"By drawing and absorbing the blood of the visitor, the gate allows that person and one other inside. I suppose you can call it a contract of sorts. It registers your magical signature once you pass through the barrier, and in doing so, allows you to come and go from these grounds freely. If you had passed through to the other side without offering blood, the gate would seal you and your partner inside forever. You become a prisoner.

"To anyone else, passing through the gate must sound like walking right into the mouth of a beast or something," Lucy commented, her eyes wide.

"I understand how many may think that," Izayoi sighed, adding more water to her teacup. "After all, that kind of thinking is why-," She stopped speaking quite abruptly, tucking a bright blonde curl behind her ear, and then folded her hands in her lap. "In any case, the spell is unbreakable."

It was silent for a while longer, and as Lucy and Natsu finished off their tea, Izayoi summoned the same maid from earlier, who went by the name of Mayu, to escort the teammates to their rooms.

"Goodness, midnight already!" The grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the library chimed loudly, surprising both Natsu and Lucy. "I will inform you on the details of your mission tomorrow," Izayoi smiled kindly at pair as they stood up from their seats. "For now, get to bed and have a good night's rest."

With that, the two friends bowed and excused themselves, thanking her for the tea before following the maid out of the library, up a magnificent marble staircase, and down one of the many dimly lit halls. Mayu first opened a door to a simply furnished bedroom, the only source of light emitted by a candle on a side table.

"Your room, Lady Heartphilia," Mayu spoke, then turned and opened the door on the opposite side of the hall. "Master Dragoneel."

"Thank you ma'am," Lucy said gratefully, before the maid bowed once more and turned off into another hallway. Lucy breathed a heavy sigh, and looked at Natsu, who looked rather untroubled by all of this fuss.

"Man, I'm beat," The fire mage yawned widely, stretching out his arms.

"What do you think this is all about?" Lucy wondered aloud curiously. "This doesn't seem like any old escort mission to me."

"You don't think so? Yeah, I guess this place is pretty weird. But most old places are." Natsu shrugged, unaffected by Lucy's analyzing thoughts.

"Whatever you say, Natsu," The girl rolled her eyes at his simplicity, and was about to retreat to her room, when Natsu stopped her.

"Oh yeah, you never wrapped up your injury from earlier," He tried to get a closer look at the cut on Lucy's palm, but was shaken off almost immediately.

"It's nothing, I'll just rinse it under some water," The blonde made another attempt to leave, but Natsu only followed her into her room.

"It'll only get infected that way," He protested, frowning at her. "You know that, Lu-lu."

"Shut up, don't call me that."

"You have a first-aid kit?" He continued as though he hadn't heard her. She sighed, too exhausted to fight with him, and fell across the guest bed, pointing to the bag that carried all a girl's necessities for everyday life.

"In the bag," Lucy said. "Front pocket."

After obtaining the kit, Natsu joined Lucy and sat cross-legged on her mattress, while she leaned against the headboard and watched him as he opened up a disinfectant spray.

"I can do that myself, "Master" Natsu," Lucy smirked at the boy, who responded with a toothy grin.

"Don't worry about it," Natsu continued to spread out Lucy's hand on his knee, taking care to be gentle. "Consider it part of my apology about earlier, at the guild."

Lucy blushed slightly as her friend tended to her wound, and smiled at his sudden act of thoughtfulness. Even after all this time of knowing him, whether it something he said or did, he always found a way to surprise her.

"So, Luce," Natsu began to speak hesitantly as he began bandaging up her hand, "Just so you know-well you probably already do-but if you don't, you know…" Natsu was the one blushing now. "You can definitely talk to me about anything on your mind. Anything!"

Lucy blinked at him in a puzzled way before she realized he was referring to the incident at Fairy Tail earlier that day.

"You don't have to hold back," He continued quickly, as if the words had a will of their own now. "I'm here for you, and I know you've always been there for me. Talk to me, or Erza, or Mirajane, even Gray! But don't just put a wall up around yourself!" Natsu looked up at her now, his eyes ablaze with fiery loyalty. "Everyone at Fairy Tail loves you, and cares about how you feel. But we can't know how you feel unless you tell us! So, please-!"

"Natsu," Lucy interrupted, her smile that always seemed extraordinary to him showing on her flushed face. "I understand."

"Really?" He gave her skeptical look.

"Yes. And I promise you," Lucy placed her hand on his cheek. "When I'm ready, I'll let you know. And we'll have a good long talk."

"Ok." Natsu nodded after a long pause, and Lucy climbed off her bed to see him to the door.

"Oh well, it's late," Lucy imitated Natsu's earlier stretch while the boy stayed put on her bed. "Thanks for the treatment."

"Ahhh…" Natsu groaned, falling back on her mattress. "Can't I just stay here tonighttt?"

"No! Why would I let you do something like that?"

"To thank me for the treatment of course…" He grumbled.

"You said that was part of YOUR apology to ME!" Lucy gaped at him in a comical way.

"Yeah…changed my mind…"

"Natsu-!"

"But I'm lonely without Happy here…" He complained, already climbing under the covers.

"Natsu, really-!"

"Pleeaaasssseeee…?" He pouted at her from over his shoulder. Lucy glared so hard at him he nearly got up, but before he could, the glower faded from her face, and was replaced with an fatigued, defeated expression.

"Once…" Lucy muttered darkly. "Never again."

"You got it Lu-lu!" Natsu grinned as she took the farthest side of the bed from him as possible and tried to remember how much she would get paid after this job was finished.

* * *

**sry this took a little longer than i expected it 2. got kind of stuck, but i think i sort of know where im going with this. decided this will definitely have a sequel, and both of these stories will b fairy long. hopefully you guys (and me -.-) will b up to it haha. anyway, i'm in the process of moving 2 scotland, so im not sure when my next update will be. ill try to make it as soon as possible. love you guys :)**


	5. A Witch's BloodStained Lips

A Witch's Blood-Stained Lips

As the dim light of the morning sun filtered through the thin curtains hung across the windows of Lucy's guest room, she stirred in the queen-sized bed, feeling extremely warm and comfortable beneath the thick, goose-down comforter. She rolled to her side, slowly opening her eyes, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she found herself face to face with her teammate and friend, Natsu. The fiery-haired boy continued to snore only inches away from Lucy's face, unaware of the immediate danger he was now in as the girl reached for the book she had brought along with her to read on the train. As she brought the thick, leather-bound volume down on Natsu's head, he instantaneously opened his eyes with a loud yelp, and scrambled off the mattress and onto the floor. Eyes watering he brought his hands up to his head and looked around, finally resting his eyes on the blonde, who had already stood up, towel hung over her arm, and a stern expression on her face.

"Come on, it's time to get up," she said briskly, turning towards the bathroom. "We don't want to keep our client waiting forever while you hibernate. Go to YOUR room and take a shower."

"Yeah, yeah, ok…" Natsu grumbled, rubbing the large bruise now forming on his skull. "You could have come up with a nicer way of waking me, Luce…" But the girl had already closed and locked the washroom door behind her. He listened to what she had instructed, and made his way into his own guest area.

The two met up again in the hallway half an hour later and, as if on cue, the maid, Mayu, appeared before them out of the shadows. She greeted them in a polite, respectful voice, and led them downstairs, once more, to the library, where Izayoi waited in the same seat as yesterday. The only difference was that the table had been set for breakfast. As the pair of mages seated themselves at the table, Natsu's eyes bulged out of his head at the array of trays set before them; the platters bore all sorts of foods, such as scrambled eggs, hot, buttery rolls of bread, mounds of steaming bacon, and even a towering stack of sweet, syrupy pancakes. Without thinking, Natsu's hands flew up, poising readily to take as much food as he could. However, with a skill Lucy didn't know she had, she countered him with her knife and fork, pinning down the boy's eager hands to the table. She turned her attention to Izayoi.

"Good morning," the widow spoke first, hiding a sort of smirk that had appeared momentarily on her mouth. "I trust you slept well." The pair nodded in reply as the young woman poured herself some tea. Lucy noted that, again, Izayoi wore gloves for her hands, and another dress that covered nearly every inch of her body. Her face was still hidden from view beneath dark netting, and her lips were still a deep shade of red.

"I understand that you are the heiress of Heartfilia Railway, Lucy," Izayoi spoke abruptly, causing the young blonde to choke on the tea she had just taken a sip of. "My Papa had been acquainted with your father. The two did business together for some time before his passing."

"Small world…" Lucy commented blandly after clearing her throat.

"Yes, I always dreamed of visiting the Heartfilia mansion," Izayoi continued, sighing dreamily. "It seemed so wonderful and grand to me as a child."

"Trust me, ma'am," Lucy spoke in as light a voice as she could muster without sounding strained. "It is not as grand as one may think. There is more to that place than meets the eye."

"Oh, but I was told so many stories by Papa of the incredible gardens that could be viewed for miles, the brilliant balls that took place every year during the holidays, and the wife of the company's head, who was supposed by many to be the most beautiful woman in all the world. Some even guessed that she was from an entirely different world, for her beauty was nearly unnatural," The widow smiled slightly at the memory of the stories her father had told with an ever-constant twinkle in his eye. "I longed to meet Layla Heartfilia more than anyone else. As a child, I knew her as the Enchanted Queen of Heartfilia Railway. My wish to meet her was even greater than my wish to see the mansion."

"Not to be rude, but I suggest that we continue to the next point of discussion." Lucy prompted.

"Forgive me," Izayoi shot the young mage a coy smile that simultaneously spoke for itself, as if to say she was not truly apologetic. "I hope I did not step on a subject that was too…uncomfortable for you to speak of openly…"

Natsu had, since Izayoi had brought up Lucy's former place of residence, been staring at his friend out of the corner of his eye, feeling the tension build up in the air around him as the conversation took a silent, ugly turn. Once the discussion had been successfully aborted however, he returned to staring at the food in front of his face, drooling all over the tabletop until Izayoi pushed him in her kind voice to eat as much as he wanted, which he did without a second thought.

Once they had all had their fill of breakfast, the trays were whisked away by the maids, leaving the party of three in the room filled with nothing but leather-bound books. Izayoi sat with her elbows propped up on the table and her hands clasped together, looking at them from beneath her hat.

"Come," She stood up after a moment of contemplation, revealing her graceful posture that only seemed to enhance as she walked in the direction of the library's exit. "I fancy a walk in the garden, and I'm sure you all could do with some sunshine after staying an entire night in the dark place."

So the two followed their employer outside for a stroll, where the freshly trimmed roses and lilies bloomed in the natural light that fell down on them from the clear, blue sky.

"As I'm sure you know, Balsam is a very small town," Izayoi began. "During his youth, my husband was very well known and well liked. There were very few people that held any ill-will towards him. He spent most of his time in town with his friends and business acquaintances. Everyone he knew found it to be such a shame when he married me, the Balsam witch."

"Witch?" Lucy said the word aloud in surprise.

"Yes, my nickname after I was married," Izayoi explained. "As a girl, I was quiet and unsociable, always afraid to speak my opinions or join in on conversations. I wasn't like the women who chased continuously after the most amiable man in town, and instead spent most of my days in the bookstore or the library."

"Do you mean the library in this mansion? So you've lived here your whole life?" Lucy inquired.

"Yes," Izayoi answered, a small smile appearing on her lips. "I always read stories filled with adventure and magic, ghouls and dragons, romance and mystery, princes and princesses. I relished these fables and folklore, and filled my head with the world's collection of fairytales. One afternoon, I was reading a beautiful, leather-bound edition of a dark, Russian love story that I absolutely adored. He came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. I was completely shocked, not to mention speechless," Izayoi smiled at the memory. "Nobody had ever bothered to speak to me. I was friendless and alone. But at that time, instead of passing me up and ignoring me, he asked me what I was reading, so I answered. I didn't know what he meant by it, so I went along with his idle talk. Before I knew it, he confronted me nearly every time I was at that bookstore. At first, we just talked about literature. I told him my favorite authors and books, and he told me his. He was a history buff, filled to the brim with all kinds of facts on wars, political figures and empires. We enjoyed each other's company. It was natural, real, and completely perfect. I asked him once why he was so keen on being around someone as homely and boring as me. He smiled the smile I had come to spot in both his eyes and hear in his voice, simply answering that my passion for reading inspired him and made him feel warm and whole inside."

Izayoi paused and turned her head to Lucy and Natsu, who had been listening closely to Izayoi's dialogue.

"He proposed not long after, and we were married in the summer and moved into this very house. I was happy, so happy it was nearly painful. I couldn't say the same for the people of the village though. I don't blame them. He could have had anyone, so why pick the shy, inward girl that constantly had her head in the clouds? There were also the girls who had admired my husband for much longer than I had. They felt cheated, angry, and bitter. That's probably how the rumors were started…"

"What rumors?" Lucy inquired, curiosity burning in her eyes.

"There was talk that I had cursed my husband to fall in love with me. Of course it was just silly, childish talk in the beginning, but it grew into monstrous gossip. As time went on, it grew impossible for me to venture into town alone without being glared at and treated callously. My place of residence helped to fuel their suspicions. Blood offerings are not generally taken well anyway, so their reaction was even worse. People would yell angry words in my direction, even spit in my face. They thought I was keeping my husband prisoner in a dungeon, or something along those lines. At first, I thought it would all blow over with time, so I waited patiently for that, and endured. But last winter, my husband…my dear Soichiro, fell ill with a fever."

The three came to a stop beside a thriving rosebush, and Izayoi stroked the vibrant petals of a particularly beautiful bud that had yet to bloom.

"He was unable to leave his bed. He was incredibly sick, and I could barely look at him without feeling my heart squeeze until I myself was short of breath. I labored day in and day out, caring for him, feeding him, washing him, and checking on him every five minutes. I sent for doctors from all over the country, but he-he just couldn't recover." Izayoi swallowed hard and breathed deeply. "The people of the town all noticed our absence from town, and their whispers grew to full on stories of the Balsam witch and the terrible sins she committed in her mansion of evil."

The young widow now shook from the sobs that broke her voice. Lucy placed a consoling hand on her back, which seemed to give Izayoi the courage to finish.

"Near the end of his life, he asked me to read him a fairytale. An adventure story filled with battles, magical creatures, and romance. So I did. When I reached the last scene he smiled at the words "happily ever after". My eyes were clouded with tears, so his face was blurred to me. At that time, he took my hand in his. "You gave me a happily ever after," he said. "You'll find someone that will give you that too. Thank you for giving me the honor to be your prince, my princess." Even though I couldn't see straight, I knew he was crying," Izayoi sighed heavily and looked up at the sky. "He was dead the next morning, and I held a public funeral for anyone who wished to come. No one did. Later, I learned that the townspeople didn't want to be near me. Because they were scared the witch might come after them next, they didn't go to pay their respects to their deceased friend."

"What has this got to do with the mission?" Natsu inquired suddenly. Lucy glared furiously at the idiotic, pink-haired fool, tempted to step on his foot, or break it.

"They think I killed him-!" Izayoi suddenly cried, passing her hand over her face, silencing the sobs erupting from her throat. "They think I color my lips with his blood every morning-! That I eat his organs during a new moon-! I need you both to be aware of this because they want me dead too! They DESPISE me!"

It was silent as Lucy and Natsu stared at the breathless woman before them. Natsu was the first to speak up.

"No worries ma'am!" He saluted in a comedic fashion. "We'll do our very best to protect you, leave everything to us!"

"Definitely!" Lucy chimed in. "I promise, you can trust us with anything." On a whim, Lucy squeezed Izayoi's gloved hand in hers, and smiled kindly at her concealed face.

"So tell us, what is it that we have to do?" Natsu asked. "I get that you want us to escort you somewhere, but I want some details already!"

"I want to clear my name," Izayoi explained as she led the mages back to the manor. "I know it must sound petty to you, but proving my innocence will give me freedom to walk through town as a normal woman, not someone who should be avoided and hated. This will take time, so I must ask you to be as understanding as possible. Please, will you still help me?"

Both Lucy and Natsu's response was an immediate and simultaneous "of course". Izayoi released a sigh of obvious relief.

"I can't thank you enough," she spoke with enormous gratitude in her voice as all three of them entered a sitting room through a door to the left of the entrance hall. "I'll call for snacks. I realize that this must be a bit overwhelming to comprehend…"

As Lucy sat in that large, ancient house, she listened to Izayoi's unending thanks, and she pushed away the dark feeling of insecurity that had sprouted within her. However, no matter how much she ignored it, the emotion continued to lurk around inside of her mind. The feeling that something else was going on; something that had not yet been expressed worried her. She knew she wouldn't be able to resist investigating the secrets that were sure to exist right under her nose. For now though, she would sip her tea and smile as she should.

For now.

* * *

**there you go! what do you think? too dramatic? I thought it was -.- thought i was dead, didn't you? sorry, I hit SUCH bad writer's block. and because I had writers block, I couldn't think of anything except the fanfiction. lollll o well, hope you like it, and as always thanks for reading! expect more!**


	6. Shattered Mirrors and Claustrophobia

Wardrobes, Claustrophobia, and Broken Mirrors

Later that evening, Lucy and Natsu were dismissed for the day, and they retired to their rooms. Already, Lucy was plotting to snoop around the mansion once she was certain Natsu was sound asleep. The last thing she needed was him tagging along. His inability to be discreet was astonishing and incredibly inconvenient at times when it was imperative to be as invisible as possible.

Unfortunately, Natsu wasn't the type to do anything quietly or obediently, so as soon as he and the blonde mage were alone, he invited himself into her room for a brainstorming session on the most effective way to help Izayoi. Lucy couldn't think of a good enough excuse that would get her out of this, so she reluctantly consented and allowed her fire-breathing friend to have a seat with her on the guest bed, since there weren't any chairs in the scarcely furnished room.

"So," Natsu, sitting cross-legged on Lucy's duvet, spoke seriously, his eyes burning with inspiration. "I was thinking that the best method to get this town to accept Ms. Izayoi is to MAKE them accept her."

Already Lucy was sighing to herself.

"How do you mean?" She forced herself to ask, although she already knew the general idea of where this was going.

"It's obvious!" Natsu exclaimed, a broad grin stretched across his face. "These people don't know who they're dealing with here! We just gotta jump on whoever bad-mouths her in public and tell it like it is. There is no witch and they'll be cursed if they gossip about her."

Lucy stared at her hot-headed companion, a mixture of pity and astonishment at his lack of sense.

"Natsu, has the rich food that you've been eating the past few days here completely rotted your brain?" She rubbed her temples, regretting ever having allowed this brainstorming session to take place. "We can't just confront these people and deny the validity of each of these far-fetched tales. It would take WAY too long to prove effective. Besides, it may cause even bigger problems for Izayoi. If we aren't careful, there will be rumors concerning us next. Can't you see it? We'll be known all over Balsam as the witch's apprentices, recruiting anyone to follow in her teachings of cannibalism and black magic!"

Natsu frowned at this, obviously upset that his brilliant idea had quickly proven more or less useless, and inquired, "Well what would you suggest we do then?"

"Put her in the right places, with the right people. Have her mingle with them, and gain their trust. It's simple. Of course, once in the moment, I suppose it will be intimidating for her, but she'll have to deal with it. This plan will have quick results, which will improve over a period of time, depending on how willing the town is on seeing Izayoi as just another citizen."

Natsu stared hard at Lucy until she became aware that she was blushing.

"W-What is it?" She crossed her arms self-consciously, and looked away from the boy, who shrugged.

"Nothing, I was just wondering how you can fit such a huge brain into such a blonde head."

"There are many things that defy basic logic, Natsu, such as your ability to function almost normally, despite your brain being the size of a peanut." Lucy shot right back at him.

Natsu shook with laughter at her sarcastic remark, placing his hand on Lucy's knee to steady himself. Lucy giggled along with him, before rearranging herself so that she was propped up on her side, her arm supporting her head, waiting for Natsu to compose himself. She watched as his expression slowly changed from playful and carefree to solemn and unsure.

"Um, about what Izayoi said earlier…did it bother you or something?"

"She said a lot, what part?"

"About your mother and the company..."

"Ah…" Lucy swallowed as a shadow of a smile passed along her lips. She waited a moment before speaking again. "Don't worry about it. Subjects concerning my parents and that house are always a touchy subject with me. To a lot of people, like Izayoi, I'm still an heiress, to others, I'm a ruined aristocrat, and to my father, an absolute failure and disgrace. All of this is to be expected, and I don't expect to be received any other way by strangers."

Natsu frowned at her description, "But that's not what you want, is it?"

Lucy sat upright again, abruptly retorting, "It doesn't matter what I want, that's just how it is! No matter where I go, I'll still be regarded as a Heartfilia, not a Fairy Tail mage!"

She blinked hard at the furious tears that were beginning to gather in her eyes while Natsu bit his lip, inwardly wanting to kick himself for bringing up this conversation.

"Sorry…Luce…" Natsu mumbled, not able to come up with anything better to say. She shook her head, choking on the sobs that were forcing themselves up her throat.

"N-no-, don't apologize…" She hiccupped. "I shouldn't have hid this from you for so long…"

She rubbed away the tears with the back of her hand, glancing at the clock that hung on her wall. "Listen, I'm really tired. Maybe we should just call it quits today."

"Sure. But would it be ok with you if I just hung out here for a while longer?" Natsu asked. Lucy nodded in response, already submitting herself to the fact that she probably wouldn't be up to the task of poking around the manor that night

The night hours dragged on slowly. Lucy leaned against the bed's head board, losing herself in the book she had brought along with her. Natsu lay beside her, staring up at the ceiling, lost in his own thought process, his arms crossed behind his head. At one point during the silent period, the girl looked over at him, noting that this had been the longest time she had witnessed him this soundless. He noticed her glance, and turned a bright grin in her direction.

"Hey, what are you reading, Luce?" He sat up and leaned in to have a better look at the printed words bound in leather. Lucy smirked at him.

"You wouldn't understand if I told you," She mocked him lightheartedly.

"Heh," Natsu continued to smile. "I bet if you read it to me I might."

"No way," Lucy scoffed, pushing his face away from her.

As they settled back down, Lucy closed her book and lay on her side, relaxing beside the boy who had returned to staring upwards at nothing in particular. She herself rested her eyes for half an hour, but after trying unsuccessfully to fall into unconsciousness, she looked over at Natsu again, finding that he was dead asleep.

Lucy's heart suddenly began to hammer loudly in her ears. The clock on the wall read 1:30 A.M. This was her chance. If she was going to do it, she had to do it now. Who knew when she would get another chance like this again?

So as quietly as possible, Lucy rolled off her bed, grabbed the only lit candle in her room, and ducked out into the hallway, tip-toeing along the carpeted floor, breathing slowly and listening for any movement or sound that would mean she had been found out by a servant or another inhabitant of the massive household.

As the celestial mage snuck about, she brought the burning candle-light up to the silver plaques above each door that conveniently read what the rooms beyond were used for. Most of them were filled with normal enough objects that were found in many old established homes, such as a store of unstable furniture and wooden chests crammed with ancient clothing that looked to be from the fifteenth century at the earliest. The outdated skirts, suits, and heeled boots were, for the most part, moth-eaten and layered in a thick dust that billowed out of the containers in Lucy's face when opened.

Among these rooms that were used mostly for storage, there existed one room that stirred Lucy's intrigue. She found it on account of pure accidental luck. She had started on the first floor, deciding to work her way upwards. She had leaned against a tapestry to think of where to start, and instead of feeling a solid wall behind the silken décor, an uncomfortable shape brushed against her back. The protrusion turned out to be a door handle, which she pushed down on impulse opening the door and stepping over the threshold. She found herself looking at a spiraling set of rickety looking stairs. Trying not to think of her guilty conscience, she ascended to the top of what turned out to be a tower. Inside the room that she eventually reached was an enormous stock of mirrors that lined the walls. What disconcerted Lucy was the fact that the glass in each and every mirror in that room had been smashed to bits. The floor crunched under Lucy's hesitant feet as she stepped on the mutilated reflecting remnants. There had to be hundreds of mirrors stashed in this single room. Lucy couldn't help her insistent inquisitiveness claw at her insides as she picked her way carefully toward a wardrobe near the very back of the room. Swinging open its doors, she discovered stacks of journals on its floor. She lifted up a volume that was noticeably newer than the rest, brushed off the dusty cover, and then opened up the book to the first page, the only page, that had been written on.

_October 19_

_ I watch you grow sicker every day now. The doctors say that you may not ever return to the way you once were, if you are lucky enough to live that is. But they are wrong. They don't know you like I do. You and I will overcome this together, and everything will be like it was before._

_October 30_

_ You've been speaking in strange terms to me for the past few weeks. I didn't notice it before, or perhaps I didn't want to notice. _

_ Please do not speak as though you are going to die. It makes me feel so incredibly alone._

_ Like before I met you._

_November 15_

_ You can barely sit up anymore. I have to help you do everything. I don't mind though, because I love you. Please know that I'll do anything for another day with you. I need you, and I know you need me. Please don't die. It would kill me._

_November 25_

_ When I was feeding you today, you started crying. I don't like seeing you in so much pain, so we cried together. Your pain truly is my pain. But I don't want to see you in any more anguish. If you will be at peace, I will let you go, even if it means I would once again be all alone in the world._

_December 3_

_ I said goodbye to you today. You did your best. We both did. _

Lucy dropped the book back in its place when she heard what sounded like a soft footstep behind her. She spun around, a frightened scream ready to burst forth, when a familiar hand was slapped across her mouth. She dropped the candle that was shaking in her hand, and it extinguished when it hit the floor. Natsu's shadowed form stood before the girl, who stood rigid from shock.

"Natsu,-!" Lucy gasped, removing his hand from her face. "What are you doing here-!"

"Shhh-!" He hissed, pushing himself and Lucy into the wardrobe. "Be quiet! Someone else is here!"

The wardrobe wasn't the most comfortable hiding place. In fact, it was a bit of a tight squeeze for the both of them. Natsu had landed up with one of his legs wedged between Lucy's, while she was pressed right against his chest. She just had to lift her chin slightly and she would be breathing at his neck. Knowing this, she kept her head down, listening for the presence of whoever Natsu had been referring to before he had stuffed the both of them into this inconveniently sized closet.

"Don't be silly, Mayu," Izayoi's kind-hearted voice sounded from outside the wardrobe. "See, there's no one here."

"But I was sure I heard something," The voice of the maid that seemed to be Izayoi's lady-in-waiting muttered doubtfully to the widow.

"Don't worry your head about it, dear," Her tone made it quite clear that she was smiling. "The house is old. I wouldn't be surprised if it house a few pranking poltergeists. I myself have heard a number of unexplained noises over the years. Don't question it is what I've learned."

"If you say so, my lady…"

"I do say so," Her voice was moving farther away, suggesting that she was heading back to the stairs. "Come, we'll have some tea. It will calm your nerves and put you right to sleep."

The maid followed quietly, and their footsteps could be heard fading away, and soon Lucy could only hear the sound of Natsu's and her breathing.

"What are you doing here-!" Lucy was quick to snap the question at Natsu again. He rolled his eyes.

"Obviously, I followed you!" Natsu replied. "Why'd you go hunting around here without me, huh?"

"OBVIOUSLY because you're too loud to take on reconnaissance missions!"

"Recona-what? We're a team, aren't we? I could have helped!"

"Oh, yeah, like how?"

"For instance, like JUST NOW when I saved your sorry butt from getting found out by the widow!"

Lucy glared up at the messy-haired boy, who returned the look with his infamous scowl. She sighed, "You're impossible…"

Natsu instinctively reacted to the breath that had escaped her mouth, feeling a sudden haze descend upon him. Aside from the mothballs and mildew that came from the wardrobe, he smelled a strange flowery scent, sweet and subtle, filling his nostrils. He recognized it as Lucy's smell, but being in such a confined area, he was hit with a full blast of it.

"You smell like some kind of plant…" Natsu mumbled unconsciously.

"What?"

"Nothing, never mind,"

Lucy tried to straighten up against the back wall of the closed in space, breathing as quietly as possible. Natsu became awkwardly aware of Lucy's legs that had trapped one of his own in the hustle to conceal themselves, and how she was wriggling them to achieve a more ideal position.

"Uh, could you please stop moving around..," Natsu whispered, a sudden blush filling his cheeks as he realized she was also wearing a skirt that was slowly being hiked up with every movement she made in futile attempts to release his leg from between her own.

Why was he suddenly "aware" of anything and everything about Lucy? It was just her, after all.

"I can't help it! This is a really tight squeeze! Can't we get out of here yet?"

"I know, but we have to stay put a little while longer, in case Mayu comes for a second look around. She didn't sound too satisfied with Izayoi's explanation…" Natsu continued to whisper.

Lucy giggled at that, "Yeah, who knew she believed in "pranking poltergeists"?"

They both became quiet again, and Natsu was beginning to become obscenely red in the face. Lucy was becoming tired. She hadn't slept very well the past few days; she never did in unfamiliar places.

"Hey," Lucy blinked, exhausted from her expedition that night. "Can I lean on you until it's safe to leave? I'm seriously tired…"

Before Natsu could object, Lucy had relaxed herself against him, her head resting on his shoulder and her hands grasping at Igneel's scarf he always wore. She breathed softly on his neck, already half-asleep despite the indecent position they were both in.

"O-kaay…," Natsu began to mumble, unsure if Lucy could hear him anymore. He stiffened up considerably when he felt her legs curl around his confined one, rubbing against it as she made herself as comfy as possible in the situation.

"I can't handle this…" Natsu thought dizzily as he felt the haze that had settled around his head double as Lucy moved even closer to him. "What's wrong with me? I didn't feel like this when we shared a bed the other day! So why now…?" His hands twitched in an unfamiliar urge to hold her close to him.

Lucy moved her arms in her sleeping state so that they wrapped around Natsu's back, and tightened her hold on him. Natsu felt his breathing stop as the blonde's chest pressed even harder into him.

"My heart's going to explode-!" Natsu thought deliriously, finally pushing open the wardrobe's door and tumbling out, avoiding falling into the glass that was scattered along the floorboards. He swung Lucy up onto his back and carried her to her room.

By the time he had reached her room (sprinting as quietly as humanly possible) and tucked her under her bed covers, he felt much calmer than when he was trapped in that closet.

"I must have had a case of claustrophobia or something," Natsu thought to himself as he left her room for his own. "There's no way I'm attracted to Lucy."


	7. Closed Ears, Eyes, and Heart

Closed Ears, Closed Eyes, Closed Heart

The next morning came quickly for Natsu. After last night's excitement, he was unable to sleep without remembering Lucy's scent piercing his nostrils, or how incredibly soft her breath had felt against his neckline. It was all extremely distracting as he sat beside her in the library that morning during breakfast. Lucy scanned the Balsam newspaper as he ate his third helping of bacon and eggs.

"Perfect!" She suddenly stood up, staring at the cover story and proceeding to read aloud, "The summertime Bachelor and Bachelorette Butterfly Ball! Nearly everyone in town will be there, and it's the perfect place to start making acquaintances and socialize with the townspeople."

Izayoi smiled a bit sadly at Lucy when the suggestion had been made, and she replied, "I admit, the idea sounds wonderful, but there are…certain complications, Ms. Heartfilia…"

"But it's so perfect! Why not?" Lucy asked, disappointed at the unenthusiastic response.

"I just don't have the talent of conversing with people I am not familiar with…"

"Well, practice makes perfect! And if you would like it, Natsu and I can accompany you so you won't be alone! Please, we want to help you in any way we can, and this event seems heaven-sent!"

Izayoi stared at Lucy from beneath her netted hat, smiling at the girl's determination. She laughed, throwing her hands up in surrender.

"Very well then," She gave in, "We have a lot to prepare for though. If I remember correctly, the event is to be held tonight, the same day it takes place on every year. Do you have appropriate attire?"

Lucy went pale when she was asked this. Natsu blinked stupidly at the women, turning to Lucy and asking what "appropriate attire" meant. Izayoi waved a gloved hand, as though she were saying "not to worry, we'll take care of it".

"Mayu, take Master Natsu's measurements and send for a suit," Izayoi called over her ever-present maid. "I'll take care of Lady Heartfilia."

Before she knew it, Lucy was being swept off by Izayoi to a room on the third floor, while Natsu remained behind in the library with the attentive maid who had already whipped out a roll of measuring tape.

Once Izayoi had pushed Lucy through a door labeled as "Dressing and Measuring Room", the blonde took in the most notable details of the room, such as the stage surrounded by a wall of mirrors, and a side of the room that had been lined with display cases that showed off beautiful heeled shoes, necklaces, and other accessories. Izayoi had promptly opened up a polished chest on the far side of the room that was filled to the brim with magnificently elaborate gowns. As Izayoi compared dress after dress with Lucy, tossing one after the other into two different piles, the mage noticed a slight difference in the widow's smile, something genuinely happier than what she had seen during her stay so far.

"Alright," Izayoi spoke, snapping Lucy out of her speculative thoughts as a mountain of dresses were dumped into her arms. "Try those on for size, and don't worry if they don't fit perfectly. We'll have Mayu fix whatever we need fixed when a decision is made."

As Lucy sampled the dresses Izayoi had given her, she realized how difficult it would be to choose a single dress out of all these incredible creations. Izayoi wasn't making it any easier either. Ever dress she had tried on so far had gotten a single-worded response from her along the lines of "Gorgeous", "Stunning" and "Divine". The last dress that she had in the pile was a slim-fitted frame made of a soft shade of lavender chiffon. The ensemble flowed over her curves easily, showing off every part of her in all the right ways a perfectly fitted dress should. When she walked out of the dressing room and onto the stage, she saw Izayoi's face and knew before she even looked in the mirror that this would be the one.

That afternoon was spent making arrangements for a carriage to meet Lucy, Natsu, and Izayoi outside the gates to her estate, which took some coaxing on Lucy's behalf, for the man on the other end of the phone was aware as to who lived in at this address, and he was less than willing to approach within a one-mile radius. Eventually, Lucy was able to convince the man to overlook his superstitions after offering double the pay he would normally receive.

As evening approached, Izayoi, Lucy, and Natsu disappeared to their rooms to change and prepare to leave. Lucy slipped on the chiffon dress and a pair of silver, strappy heels, and then finished off with a pearl necklace and a squirt of some borrowed perfume of Izayoi's. She pulled her hair back into a bun, allowing a few strands to curl around her face in a lively way, suggesting that she wasn't some uptight heiress that had some type of business deal to close that night.

"Ms. Heartfilia, are you ready?" Izayoi called from outside the room, knocking twice before poking her head inside. Her lips turned up into a broad smile that made her cheeks flush. "You look incredible."

"Y-You think?" Lucy blushed madly. "It's been a while since I've worn this kind of thing…"

"You look great, really," Izayoi complimented her as she approached her, sporting a midnight blue halter dress that was slashed diagonally so that she showed off her legs. Black, lace gloves ran all the way up to her elbows, and she stood tall in a pair of simple black heels. Her eyes remained shielded beneath another net that hung from a headband that pushed back her golden curls that wove naturally around her pale face.

"You look pretty amazing yourself…" Lucy spoke as she ogled the woman's flattering outfit.

Izayoi smiled as she pinned a silver decoration in the young mage's hair, then placed her gloved hands on Lucy's face as she spoke, "You really do look just like her…"

"Sorry?"

"Your mother, you resemble her more than you could ever know. Even your way of speaking…"

Lucy laughed nervously, stepping away from the widow and turning to apply a layer of a lipstick in the bathroom mirror, "That's kind of you to say, but are you sure? I mean how well did you know my mother anyway?"

"Exceptionally well."

Lucy paused and looked hard at Izayoi in the mirror, trying not to show surprise when she answered, "Really?"

"Yes, I was with her when she gave birth to you actually."

"Hang on," Lucy turned and planted her hands on her hips, frowning at the words that had come from Izayoi. "How is that possible? I mean you aren't that much older than me, are you? What are you, twenty-two?"

"Thirty," Izayoi answered, a smile playing on her lips. "Thirty-one this December."

"Lucy felt herself gape in wonder at the woman, who continued to speak, "Granted, I was only about fifteen when you were born, and your mother was about nineteen or twenty when she was giving birth to you, so I can understand your confusion. Things were done quite differently when a woman married because of business. Take Layla for example. She was married to your father when she was your age. Seventeen years old. They never did get along, your parents. She would call me and complain for hours about his growing obsession with money and power. Sometimes, she'd even be crying-,"

"Please," Lucy suddenly interjected, her hands clutching the side of the countertop, her voice shaking. "What do you mean by telling me all this?"

Izayoi crossed her arms, the smile still held in place on her half-hidden face as she replied, "Because there's a secret hidden in your past Ms. Heartfilia. And I think you being here is a sign from Layla that I am to reveal this to you. Please know that I have your best interest at heart, and that you have to believe me when I say that your life will be in danger should you not heed what I say."

"I don't want to hear it."

"You must, otherwise-,"

"Just stop," Lucy clapped her hands over her ears, crouching on the floor, eyes squeezed shut. "I don't want to hear it…"

She didn't know when Izayoi left the bathroom, or how long she sat on that tiled floor, eyes shut and ears blocked, but when she felt Natsu's familiar body-heat beside her, she allowed him to pull her into a warm hug, curling into fetal position and falling into his embrace, hiding from the world in those arms that made her feel so safe and secure from everything that threatened to cause her world to crumble around her.

The questions concerning his friend were burning on the tip of Natsu's tongue. But even he knew that there was a time and place. He had to concentrate on getting Lucy back on her feet and ready to take on

whatever lay ahead of them, otherwise their mission would ultimately be a complete failure. They couldn't afford that, and neither could their client.

"Come on, our ride is here…" Natsu mumbled, pulling Lucy to her feet and leading her away. "Izayoi is already waiting."

Lucy nodded, unable to form any words without her voice breaking. She remained silent until they reached the carriage that was being pulled by four snow-white horses. She felt oddly as though she were playing in a twisted, downright frightening fairy tale that resembled a cross between Edgar Allen Poe's and the Brothers Grimm's publications. All of it began to feel almost unreal to her; the mansion, the widow, tales of a witch, hidden doors, balls and carriages, it all suddenly seemed completely strange and other-worldly.

"Good evening, sir," Izayoi greeted the driver who would be taking the coach to the Town Hall, where the ball was to be held. "How are you this evening?"

"I would be better if you didn't stand so close, witch."

Lucy looked up from her place beside Natsu, who had led her by the arm the whole way from the manor to the outside of the magical gate. Anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach, and she stalked over to the big-mouthed driver, who gave her a wary look as she lifted her finger and pointed it in his face.

"Excuse me?" Lucy snapped at the uncouth man. "Is that how you talk to the people who are paying you DOUBLE for your services?"

"W-Well I didn't mean-!" He began to stammer, caught off-guard by the girl half his size.

"I don't care WHAT you meant!" Lucy spoke over his mutters. "You are a rude, pompous, cowardly, egotistical swine! You aren't worthy enough to scrape the dirt from this woman's shoes, much less have the honor of driving her anywhere."

"Sorry, miss, I really am-!"

"Don't apologize to ME, swine!"  
The baffled man, bowed low to Izayoi, apologizing profusely to her repeatedly.

"Th-That's quite alright…" Izayoi mumbled in reply, unsure of how to respond in a situation like this.

"Be grateful that Ms. Izayoi here is a forgiving, merciful woman," Lucy snarled at the rapidly shrinking driver. "Now if you still want to get paid, don't waste our time with your pathetic assumptions and suprstitions. Do your job and help Lady Izayoi into that carriage."

"Y-Yes ma'am-!" He answered, stumbling over his own feet to assist Izayoi in boarding the medieval form of transportation. Lucy huffed, before following after him, slapping the man's offered hand away and pulling herself up into the seat across from the astonished widow. Natsu, already feeling his motion sickness kicking in, groaned as he crawled into the seat beside Lucy.

"That was awesome…" Natsu managed to say before he was overtaken by the movement of the wheels bumping beneath their seats.

With the three of them relaxed in their cushioned benches (one of the three keeled over the side of the carriage with a sickly expression), they set off at a steady trot down the forest path that would lead them to the center of Balsam's town.


	8. Greedy Gazes and Unpleasant Pleasantries

Greedy Gazes and Unpleasant Pleasantries

The sun was setting by the time their carriage pulled up in front of the brightly lit building, where party-goers flocked in twos and threes and ascended the marble stairs toward the ballroom, where the sound of classical music echoed in Lucy's ears. She clambered out the carriage, lugging Natsu along and standing him upright as Izayoi joined them a moment later after paying the driver, who took the payment graciously, promising to arrive promptly at midnight for pick-up. Izayoi smiled fondly at the slowly recovering fire mage, who was slowly regaining the color back in his face and becoming more stable on his own two feet.

"Ready?" Lucy asked, half-laughing at the boy, who now stared almost blankly at her face.

"Seems he's not as hard-headed as one might think," Izayoi stifled a giggle, "I never would have thought him sensitive to motion-sickness."

"Izayoi, ma'am," Lucy smiled. "You should go ahead, we'll be right behind you. If you want to wait for us, or start up a conversation, don't hesitate to do so. We're here as your support."

"Thank you," The widow clasped her hands together, and went ahead of the team, radiant confidence emanating from just her smile alone.

Once Natsu had fully salvaged the strength in his limbs and speech pattern, he turned to Lucy, who sat on the steps to the dance hall with him, humming along to the music being played for the guests' enjoyment.

"You could have gone in without me, you know," Natsu nodded in the direction of where the other guests were congregated inside. "Don't you want to dance too?"

"I could," Lucy spoke aloud, "But I've done so much of that in the past that it just bores me now. Besides, dancing with half-drunk strangers isn't ever really enjoyable. All they want to do is feel me up and ask what my measurements are."

"Oh…" Natsu didn't know whether or not to laugh at this, so he settled for an off-handed suggestion. "So did all that practice make you a kind of expert?"

"If you want to call it that, I guess so," Lucy shrugged. "Bet I could teach you a thing or to, if you were interested."

"Can't say I am," Natsu played along, grinning childishly at the blonde. "But if I was, would you give me a few pointers?"

"Is that the way you ask a girl to dance, Natsu? I must say, it's pretty pathetic."

"Hey, cut me some slack," He replied. "This is the first time I've ever been to one of these things."

"Wow, you don't say?" Lucy's sarcasm dripped off every syllable she spoke.

"Alright, enough already," Natsu stood up, offering Lucy his arm. "Let's go show these people up."

"You got it."

Inside, a massive room that looked as though it could house the entire population of Balsam and still have room for more, displayed an array of men, all dressed in similar shades of suit colors, while a rainbow of women made up the bigger percentage of the people socializing at this particular event. As Natsu and Lucy made their entrance inside, a hush fell over some of the crowd, and Lucy tightened her grip on Natsu's arm. The sudden silence lasted all the way until the pair had come to a stop in the center of the dance hall.

"What are they all staring at?" Lucy whispered to Natsu, who pretended not to know that it was because she was the most beautiful woman in the whole bloody room, hands down, and possibly because she was a disgraced heiress who had run away from home, making herself completely infamous among the higher-ups in society as a ruined aristocrat.

The men who had turned quiet now began to break up into their groups, casting furtive glances in Lucy's direction as they whispered to one another of the Heartfilia girl, while the women watched her a bit more discreetly, their supercilious gazes lingering momentarily on Lucy, before drawing their attention away to the wine glasses poised in their delicate hands.

"There's Izayoi," Lucy whispered to Natsu as they wandered through the sea of sophisticated men and women. "It looks like she's speaking to someone, shall we join them?"

Natsu shrugged, for he had spotted the tables laden with food in a corner of the room, and his mouth had begun to water. Following his gaze, Lucy immediately realized what he was looking at, and released his arm, giving him full permission to stuff his face.

"Ah, Lucy," Izayoi spoke as the girl came to stand beside her. "This is Helena," Her gloved hand beheld the woman, who stood before them with a friendly expression on her face. "I've had the pleasure of conversing with her this evening.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lucy," Helena offered her a hand that was bejeweled with an assortment of rings. "Lady Izayoi speaks of you with such high regard, I was very much hoping I would be able to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," Lucy smiled easily.

The three ladies continued into idle conversation, unaware of the many eyes that watched them. The scandal that a Heartfilia family member had arrived had spread to the rest of the room, and that she had accompanied a fiery-haired boy rumored to be a member of the Fairy Tail guild.

"Excuse me," A gentleman interrupted the conversation between the women, his eyes set on Lucy, who looked up at him curiously. "May I be so bold as to steal Ms. Heartfilia for a dance?"

Izayoi looked at Lucy for confirmation that it was alright to allow this. Lucy nodded, a cold smile settling on her lips as she stepped toward him, offering her hand.

"Why of course, sir," Lucy obliged politely, her voice icy in her own ears. "It would be an honor."

Over in the feasting area of the room, Natsu was happily scarfing down platters of cheese, sushi, crackers and caviar, and other delicacies that happened to catch his eye. He turned when he felt the tap of a finger on his shoulder, finding a boy about his age standing before him, offering a glass of water to him. Natsu accepted it easily, chugging the liquid down in one gulp.

"Good evening," The stranger began to speak.

"Yeah, how's it going?" Natsu inquired.

"Aren't you the one who came in with Ms. Lucy Heartfilia?"

"Uh-huh," The fire mage nodded, popping a cube of cheese into his mouth. "What about it?"

"She's quite the celebrity around here. Can you keep a secret?"

"I think so, but according to Gray and Erza, all I can do is cause explosions and angry mobs to form."

"Charming," The boy smirked at Natsu as if he might agree with the supposition. "Well, you didn't hear this from me, but the former head of Heartfilia Railway may be on the verge of getting his company back."

"What? But I thought that-!"

"Turns out, the people who now own the railway is clueless as to how a company is meant to be run. They're about to call it quits and give the entire thing back to Mr. Heartfilia in hopes that he will pay them as one of his employees. I suppose you could call it a trade of sorts."

"But that would make Lucy…" Natsu pondered slowly.

"You better enjoy her while you can," The boy sneered at Natsu, patting his shoulder in a condescending manner. "Before long, her father will come looking for her and she'll be married off to someone with fat pockets of cash and an entire company to back him up. Have a good night."

The stranger left the fiery-haired boy by the table of food that now lay completely forgotten. He felt himself move forward into the crowd of guests, unsure of what exactly he wanted to do at that moment, so he pushed himself blindly through the mob of people, his mind a mess of different thoughts and new worries.


	9. Chessboard Tango, Waltzing Barefoot

Chessboard Tango, Waltzing Barefoot

"How do you come to be here tonight, Ms. Heartfilia?"

Kaito Masamune, the man who had requested a dance with Lucy earlier that evening was now locked together with her in the first position of the tango, waiting for the music to begin. This particular dance was something Lucy had always prided herself with, for while living in the Heartfilia mansion, she had taken lessons since her fifth birthday, and she practiced for hours, wanting to impress her father with her skills. The latter goal was never fulfilled, but because of her determination, she had managed to perfect this dance when she was but ten years old, able to dance even better than the women who showed up at her father's business soirées.

"A favor for a friend," Lucy answered vaguely. She didn't know what this man was playing at, asking her for a dance when he clearly wanted to interrogate her. But he would soon realize that she was quite familiar with this aristocratic game of chess.

"Ah, do you mean the young woman in blue?" Her dance partner queried. "I hear she is this town's infamous witch. Murdered her husband, did she not?"

"No I don't believe so," Lucy kept her cool, although she knew her eyes had shown a kind of glint in them when the accusation had been made. "She is one of the most agreeable people I've ever met. I'm sure the woman we were conversing with before you intervened, Helena, would say so as well."

"I would be inclined to agree with you," The gentleman smiled silkily. "But from what I've heard, Lady Helena is but curious as to why the witch has shown her face today. She hasn't been seen for many a month by anyone."

"Lady Izayoi," Lucy emphasized the woman's name. "Has been in mourning for her husband, ever since his untimely death; please not that they had only been married a short time, and his passing was devastating."

"I see…" Masamune nearly smirked at the young girl, who was less naïve that she looked. She knew how to twist conversations and lead them into a completely different direction.

"Oh, Natsu-!" Izayoi waved the boy over to her on the edge of a ring of ladies and gents, all of whom were watching a couple that stood in the center of the dance floor. "Come over here! They're about to start!"

"Who's about to-?" Natsu began to ask, but was silenced when he the music began and he spotted Lucy in the arms of a strange man. "What's going on?" He turned to Izayoi, but she shushed him impatiently and told him to watch quietly until it was over.

As the onlookers gazed at the two dancers that moved provocatively and expertly across the polished wooden floorboards, a sort of enchantment fell over them, and they all looked on in silent awe, unaware of the conversation that was taking place between said performers.

"You are quite the heiress, Ms. Heartfilia," Masamune commented as he moved his body in time with Lucy's.

"Former heiress," Lucy corrected him. "I am no longer connected to the Heartfilia Company. I renounced that title when I left."

"As I am aware, your former rebellion against your father and the company will be forgotten soon enough."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, sir."

"No? But surely you must."

"As I have already stated, I do not."

"Well, I won't be the one to break the news to you," Masamune spoke. "Please disregard the subject, as it does not concern you as of yet. But please," The music was coming to an end now, and they were coming to the last few motions of the dance number. "Enjoy your freedom while it lasts. You never know when it may come to an end."

With these last words echoing in Lucy's ears, the mysterious man kissed her hand, bowed low and disappeared into the crowd that slowly began to drift into pairs for the next music choice. The blonde mage suddenly felt a wave of nausea overcome her, and she all but sprinted outside, where she gladly inhaled the open air, breathing deeply and collapsing into a sitting position on the bottom step of the marble staircase. It wasn't long before Natsu joined her.

"Hey," Lucy smiled at him as she removed her heeled shoes from her aching feet. I had been a while since she had worn such flashy shoes.

"Hey," He copied her, a witty smile on his face. "How was Mr. Twinkle-Toes out there?" He referred to Masamune. Lucy looked at him for a moment before busting out into a fit of laughter.

"He was perfectly adequate as a dance partner, but completely amateur in the art of etiquette. He should know it's rude to address a single lady while she is in the company of other ladies."

"How disappointing," Natsu spoke in a teasing, airy tone that he had heard some of the guests use. "He had such promise."

"Yes, such a shame," She imitated his girlish high-pitched voice, just as the beginning notes of a tune she knew well began to play from inside. "Waltz, huh?"

"What?" Natsu asked as Lucy stood up and pulled him to his feet.

"I'm pretty sure you asked me to dance earlier," Lucy smiled, putting her finger to her temple as though she was trying hard to remember. "Or maybe it was some other gentleman…"

"Probably was," Natsu shrugged. "After all, everyone in there only had eyes for you-,"

"Oh, including this very fire mage before me?"

"Show me how to do this stupid dance already," Natsu avoided the remark. Lucy, in turn, took one of his hands in hers, and placed his other on her waist.

"The waltz is fairly simple," Lucy began to explain. "All it requires is for you to keep count to the rhythm. Don't forget to lead the lady, and…"

Soon, the celestial mage had Natsu doing a clumsy but accurate waltz, and they twirled as one along the City Hall's entryway with the music still playing clearly from inside.

"This definitely isn't at all like that dance you were doing earlier," Natsu commented on the less difficult steps involved in the waltz than in the tango.

"It's not, you're right," Lucy agreed, smiling ironically at the fire mage's hesitancy at leading, as opposed to when they were involved in missions requiring battles and fighting, whereas he would never dream of second-guessing himself. "But I prefer the waltz."

"What? But you looked so cool doing that tangelo dance…"

"Tango," Lucy nearly broke out into another round of giggles. "Still, the waltz is my favorite. It doesn't demand anything, just practice and when it comes down to it, teamwork. The tango is like a battle for dominance. It's not a dance to be done as equals."

"Oh," Natsu tried to understand, but in the end, only caught that Lucy was a fan of the waltz, not the tango, which made him feel better somehow, and he felt safer with asking his next question. "So what happened earlier today?"

"Nothing that need concern you," Lucy concentrated on the music, hoping Natsu would drop the question. She knew he was referring to her breakdown in the bathroom right before they departed for City Hall, and wished for him to forget about it completely and diffuse his apparent curiosity. She herself wondered why she had refused to listen to Izayoi's words, and why she felt it so important to keep herself in the dark, unaware of what Izayoi had wanted to say.

Something in Lucy's voice made Natsu back off from the subject, and instead, he glanced down at their feet that tiptoed around together in harmony. He smirked.

"You're dancing is better than mine, even when you have nothing on your feet."

"Blisters," Lucy rolled her eyes. "I never liked those kinds of shoes much, especially back in my heiress days. I'd have to soak my feet for hours after my father's formal ceremonies or gatherings."

Natsu's heart sped up when the mention of Lucy's father was made. Should he tell her of the danger she would soon be in if her father truly did re-inherit the Heartfilia Railway? But then, maybe that boy had been lying to him about the whole thing, or he knew that Natsu would tell her about it. Was all this part of some elaborate plot to get Lucy back under the control of her father?

"…good luck." Lucy had finished a statement Natsu didn't catch.

"What?"

"I said, that when I was young, my mother once told me that dancing the waltz barefoot was good luck." Lucy repeated. Natsu snorted unintentionally.

"Yeah, right," He scoffed. "Who would believe something like that?"

"Well, you never know," Lucy raised an eyebrow challengingly. "But if you're too close-minded to try it for yourself, we can stop now."

Natsu kicked off his socks and shoes without further complaint, and they continued their dance that was slowly winding down to a close.

"Why didn't you ever tell anyone at Fairy Tail that you could dance?" Natsu asked. Lucy glanced up at his eyes which showed a combination of both genuine concern and something else she couldn't quite place.

"It's not that I was hiding it or anything," She confided to him. "I just don't like to dwell on what went on in that place. I wish I could make you understand how much I hated it there, but there's just no way of explaining it. There's too much of it that I don't want to speak of again. Too much hate and bitterness came out of that one house that still has a hold on me, no matter how much I want to deny it."

"But it's part of who you are…" Natsu spoke in a low voice.

"It's part of Lucy Heartfilia, not Lucy of Fairy Tail."

"Even so…"

"We should get back to Izayoi," Lucy suddenly stopped the slow pattern of the waltz, stepped away from Natsu, and retreated inside after slipping back into her heels and hurrying up the stairs, leaving Natsu standing by himself, his feet suddenly cold as he stood on the stone ground, motionless.

* * *

**BAM! HAHAHAHA HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW? yea, i just posted like, four chapters in ONE SITTING. I wrote this stuff for hours. I don't have anything else to do! Finally arrived in Scotland, and living in Aberdeen with no cable or money. So I'm a sitting duck at the moment. I don't even have free reign on the internet yet -.- anway, everything will get better soon, but please enjoy this stuff I've written. **

**I really hope you like it, and I also hope i didn't write pages of useless crap o.o **

**The people here in Scotland are strange...they eat pizza with forks and knives. **


	10. Because They Listened

Because They Listened

Back among the socializing strangers that filled the dance hall, Lucy began searching for Izayoi, eventually recognizing the woman she had met earlier, Helena, conversing with a group of men with hungry eyes. It looked to Lucy like Little Red Riding Hood was conversing with a pack of devious wolves.

"Lady Helena," Lucy intervened, pulling the acquaintance aside. "You haven't seen Lady Izayoi anywhere, have you?"

To her surprise, Helena smirked at her, speaking to the blonde in a more than haughty manner, almost ruthless, "She stepped out with a few of my friends. I introduced them."

"Which way did they go?" Lucy asked, her heart sinking rapidly at the sick feeling forming quickly in her stomach when Helena shot her cool smile and walked away without bothering to answer.

Lucy, feeling a rush of new-found adrenaline shooting through her veins, began weaving her way desperately through the population of lords and ladies, calling out Izayoi's name until she was near breathless. She stumbled back outside, shouting out the widow's name and instead finding Natsu baffled, but alert shoes back on his feet and his eyes wide as he watched as she frantically ran up to him, her breath coming out in short gasps as she explained the situation to him.

"Damn, why didn't I stay with her!" Lucy huffed furiously as she continued to search around the outside perimeter of the building with Natsu in tow.

"It couldn't be helped," He tried to comfort her. "We were all caught up in ourselves and other people. We just assumed she would be alright when it was safe to assume no one was going to tie her to a stake and set fire to it."

"It's not funny, Natsu!" Lucy turned on him. "She doesn't know how to handle confrontation! She said so herself, if you were listening."

As they continued their search for Izayoi, Lucy could feel her head aching from some unexplained pressure at her temples. She ignored the disconcerting feeling, and soon, they heard loud, throaty voices coming from the very back side of the building. The two lingered quietly around the corner, listening to the threats that were being bellowed at someone.

"How dare you show up here of all places," An abysmally low voice snapped. "Don't forget what you've done, witch."

"I've done nothing, sir," Izayoi's voice sounded clearly in the night air. "Nothing to deserve such treatment from you, someone I have never met before."

"You devil-woman-!" Another voice, a woman's, shrieked angrily at her. "You know what you've done! You butchered my dear Soichiro in cold blood and fed his skin to the crows that perch on your windowsill every night until there was nothing left of him!"

"I did no such thing!" Izayoi suddenly snapped. Lucy jumped out of hiding, feeling her headache grow exponentially more painful as she yelled out in protest to what sounded like the beginning of a full-on fist fight.

"Stop this!" Lucy shouted with Natsu standing straight-backed by her side, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes daring the two men and woman that had cornered poor Izayoi against a wall to make a move. "Lady Izayoi has done nothing to deserve this! She's a good person, but you're all too blinded by paranoia and unfair judgments and accusations to see how ridiculous and shameful your actions are!"

"You two-!" Izayoi smiled in relief.

"Lady Heartfilia is it?" One of the men asked, approaching the blonde, who stood her ground despite how intimidated she felt. "You know this witch I presume?"

"I do not know any witch, sir. And I'd appreciate it if you left Lady Izayoi alone and forgot about all these blasted rumors made against her. None of it is at all true."

"And you?" The large bully leaned in much too close to Lucy's face. She could smell the fresh liquor on his breath as he spoke. "What about what they're all saying about you? Is it true that soon you'll be worth quite a hefty sum?"

"This is not about me," Lucy glared darkly into the man's cold, black eyes. "What's keeping you from allowing Lady Izayoi to start fresh? She just wants to feel like she belongs to Balsam as one of its citizens, not its curse!"

"A citizen, yeah right!" The woman of the team of bullies snarled. "If that's the case, if she really wants to be like everyone else here, why is she still keeping secrets?"

"Secrets?" Lucy glanced at Izayoi, who had resigned herself to staring at the ground. "Everyone has a few things that they don't want to share with everyone. It's totally normal, isn't it?"

"If we were talking about any other situation, I'd say yes," She answered. "But this is by no means an ordinary secret."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed? Haven't you ever thought about it? Why is it that no one has ever looked this widow directly in the eyes?"

Lucy was speechless. Why was that? Why did she hide her face from the world?

There were a lot of questions that didn't have an answer. Why had Izayoi until that night, pretended to have only admired Lucy's mother from stories told to her by her father? Why was there a secret room full of smashed mirrors? Why did she keep that mansion so dark and dismal? And what did she know about Lucy that she herself didn't? The throbbing in her head grew ever more agonizing, and she breathed heavily when she next spoke, some of her words slurring despite her efforts to keep them clear and separated.

"I don't have an answer to that, but…" She swayed on her feet, and Natsu jumped in just in time, saving Lucy from the effort of continuing.

"She means to say that we trust Ms. Izayoi anyway, even if she's keeping something from us. There's no reason why you can't do the same. She isn't hurting anyone."

"Not yet," Another man who had kept quiet this whole time sniffed as he smoked on a cigarette, leaning against a trashcan. "But when she does, there will be even less of a chance of her gaining acceptance in this town than before."

"You're wrong-!" Natsu suddenly flared up, surprising the accusing group of people. "You'll see,-!"

"Natsu," Izayoi spoke, pulling everyone's attention to herself. "It's alright. Even if they don't believe me, it's enough."

"What's "enough"?" Natsu frowned.

"If you get it, we're leaving," The man holding the cigarette spoke, before leading his lackeys away. The woman of the trio had a strong hold on the man who had spoken directly with Lucy, holding him up so he wouldn't keel over from the alcohol that was obviously going to his head. Once they were out of sight, Izayoi went over to stand by the two mages, a smile on her face.

"I am grateful to you both," Izayoi whispered. "Thank you for coming to find me."

"Those guys were way out of line," Natsu said, before cracking a grin as he continued. "Before we intervened, I thought for sure you were going to battle it out with them."

"The thought crossed my mind, but I don't think that getting into brawl would help me, considering my current…reputation."

As the three made their way to the front of the building, where their carriage was waiting, Lucy lagged a few steps behind Natsu and Izayoi. She felt somewhat lethargic as she dragged her blistering feet forward and tried to stand as upright as she could while ignoring the constant pain hammering against her skull.

"Ms. Heartfilia-!" A familiar voice called out to her just as she was about to pull herself up into the horse-drawn transport. She paused, one foot planted on the folded out step, and turned her head, finding herself face to face with Kaito Masamune, who, judging by his exterior, had been running earnestly to catch them before they left.

"Sir," Lucy greeted, half-surprised by his flushed face and breathless voice. "Is something the matter?"

"No-no," He waved his hand in front of his face. "I just have something to say."

Lucy waited for him to catch his breath before continuing. During this short period, a strong wind swept around her, swirling her dress around her legs and blowing Masamune's dark, disheveled hair forward. She idly noticed that his face showed how close to her own age he actually was, and that, when he glanced up, his eyes shone a dark, emerald green. He flashed a crooked, mischievous smile, and she quickly looked away from his gaze, a feeling that she may have misjudged his true character during their first meeting lingering in her head.

"What is it you wished to say then?" Lucy asked.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck," He said, looking up and succeeding in capturing her gaze.

"Good luck?" Lucy responded. "What would I need luck for, sir?"

"Everything," His gaze did not falter as he spoke, instead, it intensified as he held her eyes in his. His voice contained a warning; a well-placed caution that drove deeply into Lucy's heart.

"Ms. Heartfilia," Izayoi gently interjected as Natsu looked on silently at the last exchange between Masamune and Lucy.

"Good night, my lady,"

"And to you, sir."

The man bowed his head, kissed Lucy's hand, and then turned on his heel and quickly strode away without a hint of hesitation in his step. Lucy slid into her seat beside Natsu, and they were carted off toward Izayoi's manor. She watched Masamune's figure disappear until he had completely vanished from view.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" Izayoi wondered aloud, smiling coyly at Lucy, who blushed awkwardly at her suspicions.

"I'm not sure," was Lucy's only comment on the matter.

"Well I have a few ideas," Izayoi almost smirked at her.

"Please, ma'am," Lucy put her hands over her cheeks to cool the flush that was burning her skin. The night had turned out better than she had expected it to. At least there hadn't been a whole uprising of angry, frightened people kicking them out and threatening to fetch their shotguns if they didn't leave the property.

"I'm happy you both came with me today," Izayoi said, speaking more to Lucy than Natsu, who was half-unconscious from motion-sickness and hanging more than halfway over the carriage.

"I'm glad too," Lucy answered, "And I'm sure Natsu feels the same way."

The two women laughed heartily when they both looked over at the sickly boy who was groaning loudly as they rode on through the forest and eventually reached the entrance to the estate.

"Thank you for your trouble, sir," Izayoi curtsied to the driver, who showed an unsure, but sincere smile at the widow, before departing with his horses and carriage.

"Well, what did that guy mean by wishing you "Good luck,"?

Natsu had insisted on invading Lucy's room for another night, claiming that they had to start thinking of another way of putting Izayoi in the way of the citizens in a good light. Strangely enough though, the conversation so far had not revolved around their employer in the least since the two had sat down.

"I told you," Lucy snapped at the persistent boy sitting across from her on her mattress. "I haven't the slightest idea. Quit pestering me about him already."

"But-!"

"Aren't we meant to be discussing Izayoi?" Lucy shot at him as she rubbed her feet, minding the blisters that had formed on her toes. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"Well, no…" Natsu confessed. "It seems like you're the one coming up with the ideas. I'm just here to listen to them."

The blonde girl stared at him incredulously, and then proceeded to shake her head and roll her eyes when Natsu continued to look at her in an expectant manner.

"Natsu, we just made it through the first stage of this mission," Lucy lay back against the pillows that felt particularly soft against her aching head. "Just cool it…"

Natsu pouted at her disinterest, but remembered the question that had been bugging him since they had arrived back at the mansion.

"Hey, what do you think Izayoi meant earlier?"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy sat up again, becoming exasperated by his unending dialogue.

"When Izayoi said that it was ok if those three jerks from earlier didn't believe that she was innocent," Natsu elaborated.

"Well, think about it," Lucy spoke, an understanding smile on her lips. "She was never given a chance to give her side of the story before today. So to her, it didn't matter whether or not anyone believed her version of the past, what mattered was the fact that they listened."

Letting this sink in, a smile slowly spread over Natsu's face, matching the one Lucy showed, and let out a short burst of laughter.

"Then tonight definitely marks a new beginning for her." Natsu remarked cheerfully.

* * *

**Hi everyonnne! Thanks for reading, once again! I'm definitely feeling like I'm on a roll here. Got lots of ideas and the only problem is remembering them all. I'm all settled in Scotland, but we are waiting to get wi-fi so I can't be on the internet 2 much. OH yeah DID ANYONE SEE THE NEW FAIRY TAIL CHAPTER? FREAKING COUPLE MOMENNNTTT OMGGGG! loved it loved it loved it! Well I'll update again soon! Thank you thank you for reading!  
**


	11. Leo's Embrace

Leo's Embrace

_It was pitch dark as she walked down the cold, desolate hallway that was so familiar to her. As she stepped soundlessly forward, she could make out portraits of dignified-looking people, their heads held high and their mouths neither smiling nor frowning upon the walls. Their expressions were closed off, never telling whether they felt happy, sad or angry. _

_Her breath came out in puffs of air before her eyes as she finally stopped before a tall, mighty door. She reached up on her tip-toes to turn the doorknob, and the door swung open, creaking loudly on its hinges as it revealed a man she recognized as her father arguing with a young woman she had never seen before. Her father's desk divided the pair as they screamed furiously and pointed accusing fingers at each other. _

"_Papa..." She whispered, stretching out her hands. _

_It was then she noticed that her hands were blotched with red liquid that dripped from the very tips of her fingers. She looked down; upon seeing the same dark color splashed against the dress and shoes she wore, she brought her hands to her face, giving off a terribly high-pitched, frightened scream. _

_This wasn't her blood._

_Everything began to melt away around her, and flashes of images replaced the office she had stumbled into. A mangled, unidentifiable body lying on the floor, a bed with straps that held her down no matter how she struggled, her father leaving her alone with the strange lady he had been shouting at, and finally, an incredible feeling that she was falling, forgetting, and finally, burning._

Lucy was being shaken violently by two warm, strong hands that gripped her shoulders. As she opened her eyes, she found it was Natsu, and she didn't need to look at the fire mage's expression to know that she had been screaming in her sleep. She lay tangled between her sheets, breathing in rapid gasps, taking in her surroundings. Both Izayoi and her maid Mayu stood over her, and were both speaking words Lucy couldn't hear. Another person sat at the foot of her bed, and Lucy was surprised to see that it was Loke.

She felt Natsu release her from his grasp, and she pulled herself up into a sitting position, at the same time trying to keep the room from spinning.

"Lucy-," Natsu began, but Loke stopped him with a slight shake of the head. Lucy turned to look out the window. It was still dark outside, and as she continued to stare at the blackness that was only broken by the full moon's radiant glow, she could feel tears damp on her face. The last time she had cried in her sleep had been the first night after she had left the Heartfilia mansion. What would cause her to feel this familiar pain shooting through her heart now?

"Are you alright, Ms. Heartfilia?" Izayoi asked, breaking the tense silence that had settled heavily upon them all. "Can I get you anything?"

"No…" Lucy mumbled. "I'm ok…"

"But you were screaming stuff in your sleep-!" Natsu burst forth, unable to keep quiet. "And you kept yelling for you dad-!"

"Quiet, Natsu-!" Loke snapped when he saw Lucy flinch at the mention of her father. "Another word and I'll-!"

"You'll what?" A spark ignited in Natsu's eyes at the suggestion of a fist-fight.

"Please-," Lucy spoke up. "It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry I woke you up…"

"You didn't wake me up," Natsu continued, despite the furious glare from the celestial spirit. "Loke did. He was really worried, yelling up and down the hallway outside my room for help until I finally opened my door to see what the racket was all about. Mayu heard him too, and went to get Ms. Izayoi."

Lucy smiled at the Leo spirit, who gave her a half-hearted grin as he replied, "You wouldn't wake up, no matter how hard I tried to rouse you. I was panicked."

"Sorry…" Lucy mouthed quietly, then to everyone else. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm really fine. You can go back to bed, I have Loke with me."

"If you're really ok then…" Izayoi stared hard at Lucy as if searching for assurance, before leaving with Mayu right behind her.

"Go on," Lucy nodded at Natsu, "I'll see you in the morning."

Natsu looked like he wanted to say something, but he swallowed whatever it was, affectionately ruffled Lucy's hair, and then cleared the room, shutting the door tight behind him and pushing out the little bit of candlelight that illuminated the corridor beyond.

"Can I rely on you for tonight, my friend?" Lucy whispered to Loke once they were alone in that dark, bare bedroom. Loke could just make out his friend's tiny outline as she crawled forward across the rumpled blankets and into his arms, hiding her face in his chest, barely able to control the fresh tears coursing down her cheeks. Wordlessly, he lay down on his side; and with Lucy still coddled against him, wrapped her blanket around her fragile, shaking frame, and gently stroked her soft, tangled hair.

"I don't understand anything…" Lucy spoke in a hoarse mumble, choking on her sobs. "I don't know what to think…don't know what to do…."

"It's alright…" Actually, Loke wasn't sure if any of this was "alright", but it was better than remaining quiet. "You'll be ok…"

Hours passed before Lucy finally cried herself to sleep. Neither she nor Loke said anything else to each other that night, and the next morning, Lucy woke up alone.

She wished she could believe that last night was all a dream…she hadn't wanted to depend on Loke. In fact, she hadn't wanted to depend on anyone. But the very last thing she wanted to do was show her most vulnerable side to Natsu, who had always been so tough, so strong, and so loyal, always ready to rescue her from immediate danger. She didn't want to trouble him further with her own issues. Besides, she was sure he had enough of his own. She wanted him to think she was stronger than she truly was in reality. She was already the weakest link of the team physically. The least she could do was make up for it in mental and emotional strength.

If anything, she would die before Natsu witnessed her in the way Loke had that night. He deserved more than that.

* * *

**sry that this chapter is a little short, but the next is quite long (maybe too long...-.-). I'll upload that soon, almost done with it. Extremely lonely in Scotland when you don't know anyone, but hopefully I'll get a job soon and make some friends. I'm also going on a trip to Australia to visit my cousins for a month. SO PUMPED FOR THAT! Then I'm coming back and I'll hopefully get into college at Aberdeen Uni. thx for being so patient guys, hope you like!  
**


	12. Legends, Confessions and Questions

Legends, Confessions, and Questions

During a light noon brunch that afternoon, Lucy stirred her tea dazedly with a tiny spoon that clinked against her china cup. The morning had gone by in a haze of stolen glances from Natsu, Izayoi and even her handmaid Mayu. There was no lively chatter in that library corner as there had been at every meal so far, just the clatter of tableware as they ate. The blonde mage soon excused herself after barely touching her food, and went out to the garden, where she sat on an iron-wrought bench half-hidden between two rosebushes. She stayed there, unmoving, until Natsu found her a few hours later. His eyes were unfocused, and his shoulders seemed to sag under some unknown pressure as he took a seat beside his companion.

"Listen," Natsu began, sighing heavily as he scratched the back of his head, just wanting something to do with his hands so Lucy wouldn't notice that they were trembling. "At that party, I met this strange guy, and he said some weird stuff about your dad…"

Lucy remained quiet as she listened to the boy, keeping her eyes lowered so he wouldn't see how tired they were from the night before.

"He said," Natsu clenched his hands into fists as he looked at Lucy, "that your dad was going to get back the company soon."

The truth in these words hit the girl hard, but it did not surprise her. Not in the least. Somewhere deep down she had always known that there would always be a possibility of her father regaining everything he had lost in his quest for money and power. Lucy finally looked up at Natsu, smiling, much to Natsu's confusion.

"Figures," She spoke, "The day had to come sooner or later, I just hoped it would be later." She paused. "Much later…"

"Don't worry Luce," Natsu stood up abruptly, catching his friend off-guard when he took both her hands in his and pulled her to her feet. "There's no way in hell any of us at Fairy Tail will hand you over! It didn't happen before, and it won't happen now!"

Lucy laughed, "I already know that."

"Well good, because after all this time you should."

Lucy shook her head at the goofy fire mage. "Thanks, Natsu." She ran her hand gently along his cheek; trying not to think of how different the future battle against her father would be compared to the last time.

After making their way back inside the manor, Lucy and Natsu found Izayoi still in the library, however, she was not at the table Lucy had left her at, but was browsing through one of her many shelves of books, her finger trailing along a row of leather-bound book spines.

"Lady Izayoi," Lucy made her presence known as she watched the woman continue in a slow procession down the aisle of literature. "I just wanted to apologize again for last night's commotion. I really-"

"Magic truly is an amazing thing isn't it?" Izayoi suddenly spoke, selecting a particularly old volume from the forest of novels, short stories, and folk tales that lined the walls. "When I was young, my father told me of how it originally came to exist in this world. He always believed that the spells, hexes, and incantations that are now used arrived long ago with the legendary dragons and their riders."

"You mean like Igneel?" Natsu interjected, grinning proudly at the thought of the dragon. Izayoi smiled, although she was not looking at him, but flipping through the crinkled, yellowed pages of the massive book she had pulled off from her shelf. "He raised me as a kid and taught me everything I know."

"Ah yes," The widow answered distractedly. "What do you know of dragons, Ms. Heartfilia?" She looked up from her book, her netted hat low over her eyes and her red lips burning vividly against her pale skin.

"Me?" Lucy frowned, contemplating. "I've read a few books on their backgrounds and legends, but as far as I know, there aren't any detailed documents concerning their history."

"They were fearsome creatures to behold, truly. Because of their threatening demeanor and solitary conduct, there are few humans on this earth who could document anything other than the long journey in search of these beasts, and their quick escape before the dragons reared their heads with every intention to burn them alive. This," Izayoi held up the large book, "is the completed collection of Sho Miura's dragon expeditions made throughout his life. In total, he was able to encounter five; among them, the Fire dragon, the Air dragon, the Earth dragon and the Steel dragon.

"You said five…" Natsu counted off on his fingers. "So what was the last one?"

Izayoi's hands tightened considerably when she finally answered the boy, "The final dragon was something unlike any ever recorded in history. This one found Sho in some unchartered northern mountains. He had been travelling with a team of three other men, and one of them had fallen desperately ill. This man was unable to move, and had lain in his tent for six days. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, and he seemed as good as dead to the others. All except Sho, that is. He went ahead of the team, yelling relentlessly for help until he himself was lost. After two day of screaming himself hoarse, he felt so tired and helpless that he simply keeled over to meet the rocky ground beneath his aching, blistered feet. It was then that he heard her."

"Her?" Lucy questioned. "A woman in the middle of the mountains..?"

"This was no woman," Izayoi explained further. "Although she had the human form, her voice was the music of the dragon's tongue, and when heard, Sho could feel his breath becoming easier and his voice returning. As he lifted his head, the creature glowed radiantly before him, singing in that strange language that eventually brought him to his feet once again. This mystical woman is described as the most incredibly beautiful being to ever be beheld. Her hair is described as pure, golden silk, her eyes all-knowing and bright violet, Sho believed her to have the ability to gaze into one's very soul; a dress of soft blue material as light as air flowed around her bare feet, and although she gave the appearance of it, she never seemed to truly touch the ground, but hover just above the earth."

"Isn't this just some fairy tale?" Natsu crossed his arms skeptically as he eyed the book Izayoi held. "What if this whole story is a scam, invented so that the book would sell?"

Lucy shot Natsu a deathly glare which shut him up almost as quickly as a glare from Erza normally would. Izayoi returned to her dialogue a moment later, a smile playing on her lips from the pair's comedic acts.

"At first, Sho was under the impression that he had been sent an angel from the heavens," Izayoi said. "He tried speaking to the woman, but she did not answer the queries of her name, why she was there, or who she was. Instead, she took his hand and led him slowly across the rocky terrain. The entire time, Sho couldn't tear his eyes away from her face. She was a stranger, yet he trusted her with his very life.

"They reached Sho's camp and comrades, all of which waited right where he had left them. The sick adventurer was now barely able to open his eyes, and while Sho was gone, the weakened man had forbidden anyone to enter his tent. He was worried that the illness would spread.

"The strange, other-worldly beauty that had brought Sho to safety entered the quarantined tent, followed by him and the two other men, both of whom had become entranced by her very presence. Together, the trio watched as the woman knelt down and placed a glowing hand on the forehead of their half-unconscious friend. An even brighter light began to shine from her hand almost immediately, and it grew so blinding that the dragon hunters all squeezed their eyes shut until it receded. When their eyes had adjusted again, their sick friend was sitting up beneath a heap of heavy fur blankets, confused, but restored to his former health. The witnesses to this performed miracle turned to thank the extraordinary woman, but found her curled upon the floor of the tent, sad hisses and howls pouring from her mouth at a frightening volume, her entire body shuddering in uncontrolled bursts. The sight brought tears to Sho's eyes as her bodily glow flickered furiously around her. He reached out his hand to touch her bare shoulder, but immediately flinched away with a yelp when he withdrew his fingertips that had been burnt black. Not knowing what to do, he ushered all three of his comrades out of the tent as a safety precaution. The woman's beautiful and horrifying screeches echoed in the men's ears for hours on end, until finally, she fell silent.

"Sho returned to the tent alone. He got on one knee before the woman that now sat shivering quietly in a corner, and looked into her eyes, the eyes that said and saw everything. It was then that Sho was able to see her for what she was. A dragon. One that could save many lives, but just as easily destroy them. A cursed creature that led a cursed life.

"As he sat with her, she reached for his hands and brought them up to her eyes that leaked salty tears that ran over his hands. He didn't have to look at them to know that his fingers had been cured of the burns he had gotten from his brief contact with her shoulder earlier. She kept his hands in hers long after the stinging pain had completely evaporated from his wounds. As he locked his gaze with hers, a name was whispered in his ear, but no one had spoken aloud in that tent. He whispered the name aloud, "Syriah."

"She still did not answer. Instead, she pressed her lips upon his forehead, both hands cupping the sides of his face, and then, she smiled.

"After she recovered, the she-dragon left Sho and his friends the very next day. Before disappearing into the mist that had settled in the air early that morning, she blessed them all with a prayer in the dragon's language that would guide them along the rest of their journey and keep them safe. She then drifted away from them, the sound of her music filling their hearts with unfamiliar, pleasant warmth that proceeded to course through their veins for weeks on end until that too faded away with time."

Izayoi fell silent, watching the reactions that began to appear on both Lucy and Natsu's faces. The blonde mage had brought both her hands together in apparent awe, while the boy looked on with an unimpressed expression, his arms crossed as he carefully against the wall of books.

"Is that it?" The girl pouted. "Sho never saw her again?"

"No, but he remembered and thought of her for the rest of his life," Izayoi returned the book to its shelf. "There is a reason I told you this story, so don't worry about the wasted time, Natsu."

"I wasn't!" Natsu answered too quickly, a scowl of embarrassment appearing on his face. Lucy laughed at his discomfort, but soon quieted down as her amusement was replaced with curiosity as to what Izayoi had to say next.

"All traces of the Sun and Shadow Dragon evaporated from the earth," Izayoi spoke, and said in answer to her two listeners' confused looks, "That's what Sho had named the dragon from the mountains. The sun stood for life, and shadow stood for death.

"Sho Miura was my grandfather," Izayoi finally confessed. "I knew the tales he wrote had been real. I believed him wholeheartedly, even when no one else did. The entirety of Balsam was convinced of his insanity, but I knew better-"

"How?"

Lucy had interrupted the widow with the single word, a simple question alight in her eyes. Izayoi looked at Lucy, calm, but somehow uncomfortable.

"How did you know your grandfather wasn't a nutcase?" Lucy elaborated on the inquiry. She then waited patiently for a response, staring down the older woman, unfaltering.

"Because I-I could see it…" She stammered.

"See? See what?" Lucy spoke in almost a mocking tone. Natsu swallowed. What was with the heavy tension building up around them?

"Ms. Heartfilia, I've been meaning to tell you this since you arrived, but I…" Izayoi wrapped her arms around herself, as though self-conscious. "I've been too afraid, too cowardly…"

"What? What is it?" Lucy suddenly snapped, almost angry. There were too many things about this woman that were a complete mystery. It made her nervous, even frightened, of what she didn't know.

"I'm sorry-!" Izayoi stepped away, surprised by Lucy's outburst. "Forget I said anything."

"I know about the hidden room!" Lucy spit out unintentionally when Izayoi had turned away from the two mages. The words seemed to have an immediate effect on the woman as she stopped her retreat and looked back over her shoulder at Lucy. "The broken mirrors…and the journals…Natsu and I were there when Mayu alerted you of some loud sounds."

"Were you now?" Izayoi cast a sour smile at the words that had spilled from Lucy's mouth. "I shall have to apologize to Mayu later, won't I?"

"Why do you keep such a horrible room like that?" Lucy asked bluntly.

"Why? Well, I suppose you can call it a symbolic shrine of my past." Izayoi smirked at her choice of words. "That room holds a piece of me that I am unable to let go of. It holds memories of an old happiness, old feelings, and a sadness and guilt that will always remain."

Lucy waited for details. She was patient when she wanted nothing more than to force answers from the widow's blood-red lips. But Izayoi refused to speak another word on the subject. Instead, she returned to the table and rang a bell that would signal Mayu to arrange afternoon tea. Lucy and Natsu seated themselves across from her, as always.

"You aren't angry are you?" Natsu looked awkwardly guilty. "Sorry we invaded your private room without asking…"

"What?" Izayoi smiled softly at the boy. "No, don't worry about it. It's my fault. I didn't lock the door."

"Yeah, but still…" Natsu rubbed the back of his head with an apologetic grin on his face.

"It really was an accident," Lucy chimed in with her partner, a slight unwillingness to apologize tugging at her heart. "I'm sorry too."

"Don't feel too badly," Izayoi consoled the pair. "Let's change the topic of conversation for now, shall we?"

As much as Lucy wanted to nag the woman for a straight answer to each and every one of her questions, she knew the timing had slipped away and would be deemed, at this point in time, as inappropriate if she were to carry out an interrogation.

Once more, she pushed away the river of queries and suspicions that were quickly growing with every day that passed in that mansion.

Once more, she decided to grit her teeth and bear it.

* * *

**tada! **

**Did you like that super long legend narration? I hope it wasn't boring or anything . I'm kind of busy lately, sorry if you've been waiting...im always making you wait. I've got a general idea where im going with this, so don't b too worried. I'm not giving up yet. I think I've built up enough tension, so I'll b giving more stuff away in the next few chapters. Look forward to ittt**


	13. AUTHOR'S NOTE REGARDING CH 253

**I've been a good little fanfiction writer the past few days. I'm writing my chapter out la-di-da, on a bit of a role, nothing to complain about.**

**BUT THEN. IT HAPPENED. Did anyone read chapter 253?**

**I'm feeling kind of...**

**INFURIATED.**

**HYSTERICAL.**

**UPSET IN ALL WAYS.**

**DISAPPOINTED.**

**ANY OTHER EMOTION HAVING 2 DO WITH HATRED OR SADNESS.**

**Do not expect a chapter this week.**

**I'm in MOURNING. I wouldn't really have a problem with this plot-twist if it didn't skip SEVEN BLOODY YEARS. Thats just so unfair...**

**I'm actually INCAPABLE of writing anything until I find out WAT THE F*** is going on in the manga.**

**The characters have been eradicated from the fictional world. I cannot process.**

**Anyway, I really am sorry, but the next few chapters r on hold until I get reassurance from the author that "Yeah, they b alive and well."**

**Probably about 2-3 weeks...**

**This is so unprofessional...-.-**


	14. The Beginning of Social Acceptance

The Beginning of Social Acceptance

"This is a good idea, right?" Izayoi asked skeptically for what sounded like the thousandth time that day as she, Natsu, and Lucy came to a stop at the edge of a great tent that was strung up high over the sheltered heads of a fraction of Balsam's citizens. The mass of people had been seated in ten orderly rows of wooden benches, all wearing light-weight and brightly colored clothes suitable for the sweltering humidity that had settled in the air that day, the less wealthy equipped with paper fans, and the more fortunate flapping their own, which were larger and more expensively designed with lace and bows, and embroidered with the holder's name or initials along the fan's spine.

"Well…" Lucy bit her lip, remembering Natsu's proud and excited expression earlier that day when he had presented a flyer he had found in the mansion's kitchen to her. "I think it'll be ok…"

The three found an empty bench in the very back, just as a young girl no older than Lucy stepped up onto a podium on the other side of the tent. Behind her, collages of photographs were pinned onto a large bulletin board. The pictures showed the smiling faces of young children doing all kinds of activities; paint-splattered girls and boys held up their canvases that dripped a rainbow of colors, other snapshots held laughing, toothless grins, hop-scotch games, jump-rope contests, and peanut-butter smeared fingers. The girl held a hand up, and a hush promptly fell over the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming," The girl-speaker talked into a microphone, a smile placed tentatively on her face. "I am the head coordinator for this year's annual orphanage fundraiser, and I would like to speak to all of you of the wonderful, bright children that lead better lives thanks to all of you who donate your time and money into making their home a safe and happy one that offers warmth and protection year after year."

She continued into a heart-felt, gracious speech as she delved into the cause she showed such strong passion toward, ending with a humble plea that everyone makes a donation to the orphanage and stating she would be forever indebted to them for doing the young ones such a small kindness in sharing their wealth with them. She then proceeded to inquire about any immediate contributions anyone would like to make.

"You have to be the first to make your donation!" Lucy whispered to Izayoi, who swallowed nervously at these words.

"But what if-!"

"2 MILLION JEWELS FROM LADY IZAYOI!" Natsu suddenly bellowed, practically leaping onto the bench so as to make sure he was heard. However, there most certainly wasn't a problem with anyone's hearing as they all turned in their seats to stare over at the infamous "witch", some faces confused or frightened, others thoughtful, and of course a fair few that just glared and scowled. The fundraising leader however simply smiled, stepped down from her podium, and approached the trio on the last row of seats. It had become utterly quiet as everyone present watched as Izayoi handed over a manila envelope to the younger girl. Once she had taken the donation, she grabbed the widow's hands and squeezed them tightly as she looked unfalteringly at Izayoi, who kept her face well hidden beneath her netted hat.

"Thank you so much." The director then bent her head and pressed her lips briefly against the top of Izayoi's fingers. "Bless you," she whispered, before finally pulling away and practically skipping back up to her podium.

During all of this, Izayoi seemed to have spaced out, absently rubbing the places on her hands the girl had touched. Her cheeks were red, though it was hard to tell whether it was because of the weather or something else entirely.

"Well I won't be outdone," A voice suddenly rang out in a proud, pompous tone that called everyone's attention to the source. "5 million jewels over here!" A large, dressy, middle-aged woman waved the charity leader off her stage again with a fat wad of cash. The girl took the money from the ringed fingers of the giver, blushing with delight at the generous amount. It wasn't long before the girl's arms were brimming with weighty envelopes, tins, and bags, her eyes brimming with tears of genuine happiness.

"Thank you," She swallowed, seeming unable to stop smiling. "All of you! You're all too kind." Her eyes swept over them all, lingering a moment longer on Izayoi, who showed a timid smile.

"I hope I'm not being too bold when I say this," The woman who had followed up on Izayoi's donation spoke up, waving an intricately designed fan in front of her face, "But I myself feel that Miss Izayoi is owed special thanks. She donated much more than any of us, and I hear she donates the same amount every year by post." She half-turned in her seat to look at Izayoi. "It was very courageous of you to show up here today, what with all the nonsense going around about you."

"She's a witch," A skinny, hunched woman suddenly snapped from beside the large woman. "It was not courage that brought her here; it was her thirst for fresh blood."

"Oh I seriously doubt that, child," The other answered silkily. "Think about it, your blood would be far too cold and bitter for anyone's taste-buds to endure."

"It's true, I tell you!" The slouched woman hissed. "She rips out her victims' hearts and hangs them in her dungeon! You or I could easily be next!"

"I could be, if any of this bull were true," The woman continued to fan her face with a cool air about her. "But if Lady Izayoi were to stick her hand into YOUR chest, she wouldn't find a thing that remotely resembled a heart."

This last exchange earned a round of laughter from the other listeners, and an extra loud guffaw from Natsu. The woman, who had been made a fool of, pushed herself off her seat, threw them all an icy glare, then left the area in a huff, muttering dark comments under her breath all the way. The instant she retreated, Lucy found the atmosphere to be suddenly lighter and happier to her senses. Other's seem to have felt the same, for there were many more smiles and conversation beginning to float around the area.

"That's Ms. Sayako," Lucy whispered to Natsu and Izayoi suddenly, as though only just remembering. "Her family is known for their old money and estate. Very rich and very well-liked."

"Oh, Lady Izayoi, would you be a dear and fill this empty seat?" The woman called Sayako called, now gesturing to the recently vacated seat to her right, "If your friends don't mind, that is."

"Oh, well I,-!" Izayoi scrambled for words while Lucy pushed her into the aisle. "I suppose…if you don't mind."

"Not at all! Someone has to help in deciding what to do with all this dough."

Plans for the orphanage and how to spend the donations began to form, and while ideas were thrown around the room and contrasting opinions filled the air, Lucy and Natsu were left to watch over their client from afar and marvel at the sudden progressive step that had been taken that day.

"It was a good idea to come here," Lucy finally admitted to Natsu, glancing over at her friend, who smirked proudly at her.

"Told you," He answered. "Good thing that that Sayako lady stepped in or we'd be dealing with a bunch of witch hunters and skeptics by now. It's good to know there are people out there who are willing to give Ms. Izayoi a chance."

"There's always someone like that out there though," Lucy caught Natsu's eye. "People who don't care where you've come from or what your past mistakes may be; people who just want to know and accept you as you are. Everyone has had at least one person in their lives that was able to make everything from before that moment of encounter seem silly and unimportant, make you feel like you can just be yourself and that no one was going to judge you. You feel…safe."

"And I suppose you're talking from experience?" Natsu leaned back against the bench, tilting his head back to stare up at the tent above them.

Lucy smiled as she returned her stare to Izayoi, but kept her pinky finger just close enough so it grazed against Natsu's own hand that rested on the wooden slates beneath them.

"You could say that."

* * *

**K, i know this is rly short, but it was absolute torture writing this scene. I was NOT feeling it, but anyway, its over (well-written or not, I dont know. I srsly rushed it but i dont care). Now I can write about the stuff that i actually care about (FUCK YESSS). And I've reached the conclusion that I'm in complete and utter denial about the past few Fairy Tail chapters. I'm pretending they are not real, and will continue to do so until Natsu and Lucy actually appear again. In the meantime, Ill pretend they are all still at the guild, taking little jobs here and there for rent or whatever. **

**Anyone interested 2 c wat the Fairy Tail MOVIE is goin 2 b about? **

**Hoping it'll b good. I also just recently watched the first ep of the dub and I wasn't 2 disappointed (i figured Lucy's voice was going 2 b annoying anyway, so I braced myself b4hand). I sort of want the dvds now...**

**Anyway, the good stuff is yet to come! I've been thinking and thinking and going over it in my head again and again for about 3 weeks now. I will do a good job the next few chapters! And there WILL be a sequel to this, which I know I'm going to have an epic time writing cuz its gonna b ALL. DRAMA.**

**Itsgonnabegooooooooood.  
**


	15. Wings of Foreshadowing

Wings of Foreshadowing

"I'm so glad everything worked out the way it did," Lucy sighed later that day, once they had reached Izayoi's manor and they had sat down to a quick dinner before bed.

"It's thanks to you two," Izayoi smiled brightly across the table at the pair of mages. "I couldn't have possibly gotten this far without your guidance and friendship. So, thank you."

"No problem!" Natsu returned her smile with a goofy but contagious grin. "We want you to be comfortable and happy around other people. You'll be able to form bonds with others, just like you always wanted. Right, Luce?"

"Huh?" Lucy looked up from her plate, shaking off the look of indifference from her eyes. "Yeah, definitely,"

"What's up, Lucy? You tired or something?"

"A little," Lucy shrugged, pushing her food around her plate idly. "More importantly though, Lady Izayoi, will you be attending that tea tomorrow with Lady Sayako?"

"Of course I am," Izayoi blushed from the bubble of excitement that had been visibly growing inside of the woman since leaving the fundraising event. "I'm really looking forward to it."

"We won't be going with you this time," Lucy gave an encouraging look. "So just be yourself and don't be nervous if Lady Sayako wants to introduce you to her friends and acquaintances. Be confident too. You don't have to look like a deer caught in the headlights. You've done nothing wrong, remember that."

"I-I will," The widow nodded, although the look she gave Lucy seemed suddenly troubled. "I'll send for Mayu to escort you to your rooms, if you are both done with dinner." She rang a delicate little bell, and in a moment, Mayu was there. Before she ushered Natsu and Lucy from the room, Izayoi spoke up. "Ms. Heartfilia, when I return from my outing tomorrow, I would like to speak with you about some things."

Lucy turned back to Izayoi, something of a profound relief washing over her expression as she replied, "I would like that very much. I have things I'd like to talk to you about as well."

"Well then, good night you two."

Once Mayu had left Natsu and Lucy outside their rooms, the fire mage let out an exaggerated yawn and pushed open the door to his room.

"Looks like the mission will end soon, huh?" Lucy stopped him with her comment.

"Guess so," Natsu looked back at her. "Man, I'm going to miss the food…"

"You're so weird." Lucy rolled her eyes at her friend. "I wish I could have stayed longer too though. I would have liked to check out Lady Izayoi's library some more."

"Well, it was fun while it lasted I guess. I'll see ya in the morning. G'night, Luce."

"Night, Natsu."

It was hard for Lucy to fall asleep that night, her thoughts were so vexing. She was so curious as to what she and Izayoi would discuss the coming day that she could barely lie still. Eventually though she was able to slip into a deeper sleep than she would have thought possible at the time, given the state of her nerves.

Not long after the blonde had fallen unconscious, a key from her collection shone brightly from the corner of her room, and Loki stepped forth from the momentary light that died down almost immediately after he appeared. Silently, he crossed the room, pausing to kneel by Lucy's sleeping form that huddled under her blankets. Her hand hung over the side of the mattress, and Loki gently took it up in his own, brushing her limp fingers against his lips.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered, before tucking the girl's hand beside her. He then stood and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him, glancing around for anyone who may be watching, and then knocked on Natsu's door, hoping the sound wouldn't wake his owner or anyone else for that matter.

The pink-haired boy finally opened the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and squinting into the shadowy hallway, "That you, Luce? What's up?" He mumbled, before Loki pushed through the threshold and into the room that was just barely lit with the candle that sat on Natsu's bedside table.

"I'm not Lucy, you idiot," Loki hissed, his arms crossed as he beckoned Natsu over with a tense twitch of his finger.

"Loki? What's going on? Is Lucy having another nightmare or something?"

"No, she doesn't know I'm here, and she won't if you know what's good for you." Loki spoke, his voice tight as he looked hard at Natsu as he closed the door and approached the celestial spirit somewhat warily. "I need to talk to you about her though, and it's important that you keep your mouth sealed about everything I'm about to say. Got it?"

"Um-I guess so," Natsu frowned at the uncharacteristically edgy and serious aura Loki was giving off. "What is it?"

Before speaking, Loki inhaled deeply as if to calm himself, running a hand through his auburn hair in an uncomfortable manner, and then propped his shoulder against the wall.

"Remember when I was unable to get back to the spirit realm?" Loki spoke in a hushed voice. "I thought for sure that it was the end of me. But on the day I was to die, Lucy not only found me, but she also saved me and lifted the guilt I had been carrying inside for so long."

"Yeah, I remember all that, what about it?" Natsu asked, confused by the dialogue.

"The day Lucy came to my rescue, something…happened." Loki now looked more uncomfortable than ever as he spoke these words. "Something happened to her."

"Ok..?" Natsu was now becoming impatient. Why didn't the guy just spit out what he had to say already? "What happened?"

"She was different somehow," Loki swallowed, feeling how dry his throat was, like he was dehydrated when in actuality he was feeling such a heavy responsibility that just speaking was almost difficult. "She wasn't herself."

"Stop speaking in riddles, dammit!" Natsu suddenly snapped, throwing his arms out from built up exasperation. "What in the hell are you even talking about!"

"I don't think you realize how extraordinary and unrealistic it really is to summon the Spirit King, not to mention all the other spirits Lucy owned at the time simultaneously," Loki explained. "It takes a massive amount of magical energy just to call on two at a time, but Lucy…what she did out there that day wasn't normal. And it wasn't her. The strength she showed was more than anyone at Fairy Tail could muster, even more than Makarov could dish out."

"Wha-?"

"I know this sounds strange to you, but you have to listen, ok?" Loki replied. "I shouldn't even be telling you any of this. She made me swear not to, but-!"

"Wait, Lucy told you to keep all of this a secret? Why?"

"Because of what I saw," Loki's voice was now so low Natsu had to lean in to hear him. "What I saw while she was releasing all this magical power…I think at the time she was afraid of it, of what it could have been. Anyway, she didn't think it was something to be discussed or worried about. It was only some shadows after all."

"Shadows?" Natsu raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What kind of shadows?"

"Wings," Loki spoke rapidly, as though now desperate to get this part of the conversation over with. "Attached to Lucy's shadow, where her back was."

"What, like bird wings?"

"No," the celestial spirit answered immediately. "Bigger. Much bigger. More like dragon wings."

"That's impossible, Loki," Natsu scoffed, covering up what would have been a horrorstruck intake of breath with an unnatural sounding guffaw. "You must have seen wrong."

"That's what I keep thinking to myself," Loki answered. "But my gut thinks something entirely different. All I'm asking is that you keep an eye on Lucy. This Izayoi woman knows something about her. Something dark."

Loki now began to speak hurriedly. "Look I could be completely wrong, but I have a really bad feeling. Like a foreboding. If I were you, I would finish up this mission quick and get the heck out of here. This house is full of secrets. I can smell it in the air. It makes me uneasy. I don't like any of what's been happening to Lucy either. The nightmares, this constant feeling of dread and unease; she doesn't know what's going on, but she's also aware that there's something she's missing."

"Alright, I get it," Natsu nodded, wanting to put Loki's own nerves to rest. "I'll take care of Lucy, you have my word."

"I'm counting on you then," He turned on his heel suddenly, and evaporated into the air, returning to his own realm without another word, and leaving Natsu with his own feelings of anxiety and apprehension.

* * *

**o.m.g. LUCY'S DAD IS DEAD. I TOTALLY CALLED IT. That one-shot that I had up on my -in progress- list on my page? Yeah. That was meant to revolve around her dad dying during the 7 years she was gone. I never call stuff, so it made me feel a little cool. haha. Anyway, I'm sure the next chapter will just have SHITLOADS of NaLu fluff. It's gonna b GOOOOOD. So pumped and ready. Anyway, now that Fairy Tail is all back to normal (i guess?) I am pretty ok with writing my fanfix again. **

**So about this chapterrr...I'm sorry if you hate it... but if you love it, thank you for loving it :) oh, btw, ppl kind of made me realize that the donations in the last chapter were rly little (sry, economy in real life keeps making me think thousands is a lot now...LOLL I forget I'm writing fanfiction and currency is different) so I changed it drastically (is it a lot now? I hope you think so -.-)**.** I know exactly what I'm writing for next chapter, so it shouldnt b 2 long of a wait. This is almost over actually o.o only like...2 chapters left? And then Ill b writing the continuation. Plz look forward to it! I do love you all!  
**


	16. Turning Pages and a Lousy Friend

Turning Pages and a Lousy Friend

When Lucy woke up the next morning, it took her a moment to remember what today was. But when she did, she practically leapt out of her bed with anticipation. Today, Izayoi had promised to spill her guts and tell her everything Lucy had been dying to ask for nearly two weeks. She wondered if they would be able to talk for a while before she left to meet with Sayako, but it was later than Lucy had thought as she made her way to the bathroom to freshen up, for the sun was already high in the sky from the window in her washroom.

"How late did I sleep?" Lucy felt almost embarrassed, but Mayu had woken them up nearly every morning for breakfast, so naturally she thought today wouldn't be any different.

As she changed into some new clothes, an idea struck her, and although she knew it was probably a stupid idea that would land her in trouble, she went against her gut and conscience, left her room as quietly as possible, and stalked off to find the door to the tower filled with shattered mirrors and the dusty, old wardrobe filled with journals. She thought it easier to locate the room now that bits of light were streaming through the windows (although the house was still unable to completely extinguish all the shadows that had taken up residence in the corners and hallways, even with the heavy stock of candles lining the walls). Soon, she found herself pulling back the familiar tapestry, and upon seeing the door not only unlocked, but slightly ajar, she hesitated, confused and apprehensive as to why the entrance to Izayoi's secret room wasn't protected or blocked off in any way. She did not pause for very long however, for voices could be heard not far off, so without a word she slipped through the concealed door, the tapestry swinging back into place as she took two steps at a time up the twisting staircase that let out into the mysterious room that looked just as she had left it the night she and Natsu had landed up stuck in the wardrobe together. She trod carefully around the perimeter of the small space, feeling the crunch of the glass beneath the souls of her boots as she finally stopped before the dingy old closet that intrigued her in such a way it was almost pure obsession. She reached for the handle, feeling rough rust against her skin, and pulled gently so that it wouldn't make much sound. The smell of mothballs and damp hung in the air around her, making her hair cling stubbornly to the sides of her face as she shuffled through the small collection of diaries on the closet's floor until she chose the oldest and most abused copy from the bunch. She brought it up and out of the enclosed compartment, sweeping a layer of dust off the cover with the back of her hand. The binding had deteriorated to the point where the yellowed pages had simply been left in an orderly stack between the book's two worn bits of leather that had once been its jacket.

Being as gentle as she could, Lucy peeled back the first layer of the book, and scanned the first page. The written words were faded with time, but were just clear enough to be read if one held it under the dim light that fell from a skylight above.

_August 7_

_ Today, I received mail from Layla. It has been a while since I visited the Hearfilia's, but I know that she and her husband have been busy with their business (which has become quite the success). I so wish we could meet, for she is the only one outside my home that loves me, though I know it is my fault that the townspeople find me unapproachable. I just don't want to be looked at as a freak if someone were to discover my secret. The Heartfilia's are the only ones who know of my power and still accept me for who I am. Next time father goes to discuss business plans with Judo, I'll ask him take me along. _

Unthinkingly, Lucy skipped ahead a few pages that were chock-full of daily routines and other insignificant events of the past, until she stopped again on a date almost a year later.

_June 10_

_ Father has decided to send me to the Heartfilia's! Layla's going to be giving birth soon, and she wants me there with her when she goes into labor. I feel almost unworthy to be invited to such a special occasion, but I'm thrilled at the same time to be able to share such happiness with my dearest friend. It's been so long, I wonder if Layla will think I've grown up. I mean, I'll be turning fifteen this very September. Will she think I'm more mature? I can't wait to see her! I'll even put up with her husband if I get to see her again. It's out of line for me to say so, but he is not very easy to get along with. He's cold and hard. He's like a big and scary rock._

_ June 12_

_ Layla's even more beautiful than I remember her. We talked all day and through most of the night. Luckily, Mr. Heartfilia was busy with work, so I didn't really see him after his brief greeting when I arrived. Layla is already 8 months along in her pregnancy, so as they say "She's ready to pop". I don't think my dad found that very amusing when I said it to him the day before I left. He said it was crude and made me promise not to say it out loud again. I think it's a pretty accurate description though. And creative._

_ June 27_

_ Layla said she'll be giving birth any day now. She said she could feel it, like a constant tugging at her heart, always reminding her that something was about to happen. When I asked her when she thought the baby would arrive, but she just answered, "Soon". She and her husband have already decided on a name, even though they can't know for sure if it's going to be a boy or a girl. Layla says she knows it's a girl, and I don't know how she can be so positive about it. But if Mr. Heartfilia believes her, I guess I should just take her word for it too, right?_

_ July 1_

_ Lucy was born today. She's every bit as gorgeous as her mother, and I loved her as soon as she looked at me. Layla named me her Godmother, the highest of honors in my opinion. Even Mr. Heartfilia looked happy (for once). Since Layla isn't allowed to leave the hospital until tomorrow, I went back to the estate with her rock-husband. I'm planning a wonderful "Welcome Home" tea for when she gets back with Lucy._

As Lucy flipped through the next few pages of the journal, she found it teeming with stories of the first few weeks of her own life. She didn't realize she was crying until a tear splashed down on a page, a tiny dark blotch against the yellowed parchment. She didn't want to read anymore. Something about it made her feel ill. But she continued on anyway. The entry dates grew farther apart after Izayoi wrote of the day she left the Heartfilia estate. Once she had made it back to Balsam, she arrived home with the news from her father that her grandfather was on his deathbed. She spent time with him, talking to him about the good memories she had during her stay with Layla and Lucy. But one of the final entries about "Grandfather Sho" described something strange having to do with a simple photo.

_September 8_

_ Today, I showed Grandfather Sho a photo of Layla and I. His reaction was so sudden that I fell over on the floor, but that's not important. He started to yell strange things that only served to alarm me further. "She's still alive", "I knew she was real", "The Sun and Shadow Dragon is still on this earth". It was frightening to see him in such a state. I thought he had gone completely delirious with the fever he had been fighting for the past five days. But when he finally settled down, he asked to see the picture again, and at first I hesitated, but he promised he was alright, so I handed it over without argument. _

_ "Who did you say this young woman was? Layla Heartfilia?" He asked me, an urgency I had never seen before sparked in his eyes, and I replied with a nod. He laughed, to my surprise, and I asked what was funny. He told me_-

Lucy turned the page to find that the rest of the diary's entries had either been scribbled over in black ink or ripped out altogether from the weak binding. She closed the book, running her hand absently over the delicate front cover, before reluctantly replacing it at the bottom of the wardrobe. She knew her absence would probably be noticed if she didn't get back down to her bedroom soon, unless Natsu had already discovered her disappearance and was acting like a complete spazz running around trying to find her.

The blonde mage descended the secret staircase, strangely calm when she knew she should be in complete shock, or at least feel some kind of strong emotion about what she had just read. Instead, all she felt was a strange numbness that took hold of her body and refused to let go, even as she pushed past the tapestry on the wall and came back out onto the mansion's first floor. With not a soul in sight, she began to make her way back to her bedroom, her mind blank and her feet dragging across the carpet, as though she had used a bizarre amount of her energy from just reading old words on old paper. She wondered idly what time it actually was, and if Natsu was at breakfast yet. She also thought of Izayoi, and prayed that everything was going smoothly at Sayaka's social gathering.

She didn't hear him coming, which didn't make much sense; he had been running and yelling at the top of his voice. Only when Natsu's hand clamped down on her shoulder and spun her around did she suddenly break out of her trance-like state. His eyes burned furiously into her face as he then placed his other hand on her other shoulder, and pushed her back until she was pinned against a wall, her gaze frozen in place as Natsu opened his mouth to speak.

"Where were you?" His voice was rough and hard with emotions he was clearly trying to control but convey simultaneously. Lucy continued to stare blankly at her friend, unsure of how to react.

"Where WERE you?" Natsu repeated, anger flaring up as his hands tightened their grip on Lucy's shoulders. "It's already past noon! You've been missing for two whole hours!"

"N-Natsu-!" Lucy stammered, her voice strained. "That hurts-!"

From the pained look on his friend's face, Natsu seemed to regain some of the little sense he had fairly quickly, and immediately backed off, his face clouded with frustration, anxiety, but most of all, shame. As he released Lucy from his hold and crossed his arms over his heaving chest, Lucy at the same time reached out to him, but he shook his head, as if to stop her.

"Hey, Natsu…what's wrong?" Lucy continued to stretch out her hand to him, although a bit more hesitantly. "I didn't mean to scare you like that, honestly, I-,"

"No, I'm sorry," Natsu interrupted. "I let myself get too worked up and I hurt you…"

"Natsu…" Lucy sighed, now pulling back to touch her own shoulders with her hands. She easily felt the spots where Natsu had grabbed her, and slight bruises were already beginning to form. At the sight of the discolored portions of flesh, the boy suddenly seemed to lose all earlier motivation to interrogate and scold her, and instead fell hard on his knees in a desperate plea for forgiveness, keeping his face plastered against the carpet in the deepest of respects for her.

"I'm so sorry-so sorry- so-so-so sorry!" He apologized profusely as Lucy looked at him, feeling embarrassed and guilty at the trouble she caused. She squatted down in front of him, an awkward smile on her lips as she raised his head from the floor.

"Me too," She said as he looked at her with a much softer expression than before. "I'm sorry for worrying you so much. It's because I haven't been myself lately and because I never thought to tell you where I would be. Hey-," She ran a hand through Natsu's hair tousling it so gently it could almost be qualified as stroking. "I'm fine, you barely touched me. I bruise easily anyway."

"I'm a lousy friend…" Natsu mumbled, looking away from Lucy with such a pitiful look in his eyes it almost hurt just to witness such a sad emotion come alive inside of him. She sighed heavily and forced him to face her when she next spoke up.

"Well that can't be right," Lucy replied to his last words. "Because I feel like I know very well what kind of friend Natsu Dragoneel is, and he isn't at all 'lousy' as you said. He's caring, good-hearted, passionate, and full of surprises. And also," Lucy finally helped him to his feet, never taking her eyes off of his as she said, "he's the one that saved me from my pain and loneliness. He was the one who brought me home, to my family at Fairy Tail. He's the one who never judged me by my background or personal situation, but just accepted me without question. He showed me what it felt like to be loved again. And I'll be forever grateful to him for that." She smirked at him as a light blush colored his previously pale face. "Is that really how a 'lousy friend' is?"

Natsu wasn't sure what it was about this turn of conversation that was making his heart beat so bloody hard against his chest, and he wasn't entirely positive that he wanted to know, but looking at Lucy's smiling face had easily extinguished whatever previous hostility he had been feeling only moments ago.

"No…." Natsu finally mumbled, horribly aware of a strange heat creeping up the back of his neck as Lucy wrapped her arms around him. It was a different kind of warmth to his own magical fire that always served to keep his temperature higher than most normal people's. This unfamiliar sensation warmed his heart and gave him ethereal chills that tingled to the very ends of his fingers and toes. When he breathed, the scent of flowers clogged up his senses, and he felt sluggish and weak.

"Good," Lucy pulled away and Natsu blinked and shook his head rapidly to clear his head. "By the way, why didn't anyone wake me up this morning?"

"You said yesterday that you were tired," Natsu answered, "so Izayoi told Mayu to let you sleep. I went to check on you, but you weren't there, so…"

"Right," Lucy said, putting her index finger to her temple. "Sorry…I was actually snooping around in that tower again."

"Again? Lucy, we shouldn't be doing that, Izayoi was really upset last time."

"I know, I know," Lucy bit her lip, but then raised an eyebrow at the fire mage. "And when did YOU become so moralistic?"

"Heh, since a certain someone kicked my ass when I tried to read her novel-in-the-works without permission. It's pretty much the same thing right?"

"Aw man…" Lucy groaned. "I can't believe you have a point…"

Natsu laughed, and began to lead her away. "I bet you're hungry, let's go see if we can grab something from the kitchen."

"Sounds good," Lucy agreed. "When do you think Lady Izayoi will be home?"

"Soon, I guess."

Lucy's hand twitched when she heard the word her mother had used in response to the question Izayoi had asked about the time of Lucy's birth. She regretted reading all she did in that room. It wasn't right, no matter how much of a right she had to the truth. In the end, all those words had done anyway was make her even more uneasy and aware of a coming threat, and a secret that had successfully been hidden from her for seventeen years.

* * *

**K. We r now coming to the end of the first half of this fanfiction. Next chapter will be the last until I begin part 2 (no worries, Ill begin it immediately ahaha). I enjoyed writing the chapter (and i hope it was enjoyable to read o.o). I'm seeing that a lot of other ppl r writing fanfix of Lucy involved with the dragons' disappearances, but let me say I CALLED THIS PLOT FIRST. **

**So did anyone find that last fairy tail chapter somewhat of a disappointment? No hug? I mean come on Natsu, your bffl just lost her DAD. -.- I dunno, I wish Mashima had done something more emotional besides letting Lucy cry her eyes out in her bedroom. Oh well, I hope we get to c some more about Lucy the next few chapters. Maybe a filler or two wouldn't me so bad. Tired of being jerked around by the author in such dramatic fights and sub-plots. Get on with the main character developmentsss.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this! Still loving you guys!**


	17. Opening Her Eyes

Opening Her Eyes, the End of Their Mission

Izayoi returned home not long after Lucy had eaten. She presented herself to Natsu and the blonde in the library with a smile brightening her naturally pale face. Her outfit was also different to what she would wear on any other day. A dusty-pink coloured, knee-length dress showed off her slim waist, and her formal strappy silver heels complimented her long legs. However, a few accessories made it obvious that the widow still remained loyal to her own strange style, such as a pair of delicate gloves that stretched all the way up to her elbows, and of course her ever present netted-hat that always just hid her eyes from view.

As she joined the two mages at the table, she began to report on the events at the tea party. Overall, it had been a success. Sayako had been kind and given her a warm welcome, introducing her to other ladies that had been her acquaintances and friends. Izayoi had managed to be amiable and sociable with anyone who engaged her in conversation, and although a few of the guests had been a bit wary at first, they eventually overcame their scepticism and offered smiles and easy exchanges.

"I'm so happy for you," Lucy smiled brightly at her employer, "And I'm really glad that Lady Sayako will be here for you as a friend."

"Yes…" Izayoi smiled lightly, unable to muster a much of a response to Lucy's words. "I am also grateful to you two. You got me back on my feet when I was unable to stand on my own. I was right to have Mayu post that advertisement in your guild."

"About that," Natsu suddenly interrupted. "Lucy said that it was your sister on the phone when she called to confirm the mission, but-,"

"Ah, yes, that was Mayu too. The closest thing to a sister I've ever had was during the time Layla was alive."

"My mom…" Lucy said, looking at Izayoi with unreadable expression. "So you two really were close, huh?"

"After today, your mission and duty to me will be over," Izayoi suddenly stood and came around to the other side of the table to where Lucy and Natsu sat. "I owe you the truth Lady Heartfilia. I know that. I also know that Layla would forgive me for the second sin I will commit today. If there was a possibility, I would now give you a choice of whether or not you still wished to know the secret that belongs to you, Layla, your father, and me, but I cannot. There is no other option for you, no fork in the road, no choice. The moment you came through that accursed gate, there was no way to turn back."

Lucy looked up at the widow, her expression a mixture of desperate curiosity, deep anxiety, stubborn determination, and such overwhelming fear that it set the hairs on the back of her neck on end. Natsu swallowed, suddenly remembering Loki's unsettling warning. He wished he had taken the spirit seriously at the time, maybe he could have figured out a way to avoid whatever was about to happen.

"Follow me," Izayoi said, turning on her heel in the direction of the library's exit. "Natsu, you too; we'll both need you when this is over."

Lucy didn't need to ask where they were going, it was obvious, so she obediently kept a half-step behind the widow as she and a worried looking Natsu were led up to Izayoi's hidden tower.

At the threshold, Izayoi came to a sudden stop. Turning to Lucy, she let out a sigh and her eyes took on a slightly disapproving look when she spoke. "You were in here today, Lady Heartfilia?"

"I was…" Lucy answered, a blush permeating over her cheeks and down her neck. The widow's intuition and deduction skills were nothing to sneeze at. "I…I'm sorry, I know you already told us not to, but the door wasn't locked, and it just seemed like a good idea…"

"No, I expected as much," Izayoi said unexpectedly. "I don't blame you; I probably would have done the same if it was me. What did you find out exactly?"

"Nothing really," Lucy mumbled, feeling a heavy guilt wracking her insides. "But, when you spoke with your grandfather, before he died, something seemed to happen when you showed him a photo of yourself with my mother. He seemed to think…well, you wrote that he had said things about her…Like he was under the impression that she was this Sun and Shadow dragon?"

"Ah, no wonder…" Izayoi smiled at the girl. "That particular journal was once filled with some of my most haunted memories. I thought by destroying the things I wrote, I would cease to remember them as clearly as I did. I was younger then, and more innocent. I didn't know that the horrible things I did would follow me for the rest of my life."

"You told us about the Sun and Shadow dragon once before," Natsu said. "In the library…"

"I did," Izayoi answered. "Lady Heartfilia, your father told you of how he met your mother, correct?"

"Yes, at the Love and Lucky guild," Lucy smiled when she thought of the story her father had told her concerning the decision her mother had made on the name "Lucy".

"The story he told you was not the entire truth," Izayoi shook her head, and Lucy now noticed that the widow's hands were shaking. "Your mother was discovered by one of the guild's members on the roof of their building one morning in the middle of January. It was cold, and she was brought inside and welcomed by everyone. They soon realized that she couldn't speak any recognizable human language, and they now felt responsible for her. Something about this strange woman's presence made each member of Love and Lucky feel unexplainably happy and warm inside, and they all loved her and didn't want to leave her to fend for herself.

"The guild didn't know what to do with their newest member, until Judo Heartfilia stepped forward, volunteering himself to be her tutor and caretaker. He named her Layla, in honour of his mother, who had just died from an illness. Teaching her to speak and look after herself wasn't as hard as one would think. After just two years of living with Judo, she behaved just like any other young woman with exceptional manners. But although she possessed the look of a human, she did not appear as so. The beauty that exuded her was not at all mortal, but seemed everlasting. She drew stares from anyone and everyone she passed, but she never noticed, for there was only one person she truly saw, one person that was above all others in her eyes.

"She was ready to live a life of her own, Judo knew that. But against what he wanted to believe, he had fallen in love with Layla. He asked her to marry him, and she was the happiest she had ever been.

"I met Layla on her wedding day. My father was an old friend and business partner of Judo's, and he brought me along to offer congratulations. I was very sad at the time, for I was lonely and didn't have many friends. Layla was kind to me though, and offered me her friendship.

"Time passed of course, and Judo's business took off. According to the letters Layla sent me, he was slowly becoming consumed with the idea of power and money. It became his obsession, and he forgot the man he once was. Only after Layla had given birth and contracted a disease that was completely foreign to every doctor and scientist in the country did he come to his senses, but only until her death. His only concern after Layla's passing was work. I suppose this was because it distracted him from anything that reminded him of her."

"Including his daughter," Lucy muttered under her breath. Izayoi gave her a sad, sympathetic smile as she answered.

"Including you," She agreed, "But only after he ensured his own safety."

"What do you mean?" Lucy furrowed her brow at the words.

"You frightened him, and for good reason after a certain incident occurred a few days after Layla's death. This will sound strange to you, but the magic your mother passed down to you when you were born unexpectedly surfaced."  
"I don't understand."

"I know. I'd be surprised if you did. I wonder if being blunt would be better. When my grandfather pegged your mother for a dragon only heard of in legends and fairy tales, he had made no mistake. After I read the biography he had written, I knew what to ask Layla, and how to prove that he wasn't mad. It was easy. I asked about her past from before she had been taken in as a member of the Love and Lucky guild. She told me she had been a wanderer, helping anyone she could be of service to.

"I once caught her rocking you to sleep when I was visiting for a few days. She sang in a voice that was not human by any means. It was a sad voice though, and if it was possible I would explain what it was like to hear such a melancholy sound, but I could never make you understand it with just words."

"You're not trying to say that-," Lucy could only imagine what she must have looked like at that moment.

"The last bit of proof was accidental. I had broken my arm when I was out with Layla on a walk. I had decided to be a show-off and climbed to the highest branch of a tree in the park we always walked by. I fell of course, and I was in a great deal of pain. Layla knelt beside me and held on to my arm with both her hands telling me to hold still. A light, brighter than anything I had ever experienced, engulfed us both, and I couldn't see a thing, but what I felt was incredible. I could literally sense the bones in my arm healing at a superhuman pace. I looked at Layla, and for the first time, I saw her. That day, I learned her true name and identity. That day, I knew she was a dragon. The dragon my grandfather had dedicated his life to researching.

"Let me ask you something; why do you think I have not looked either of you in the eye since meeting you?"

"Why…?" Lucy said hoarsely, as though emerging from an exceptionally vivid daydream.

"Like your mother, I too had a secret," Izayoi fingered the worn edges of the net hanging over the front edge of her hat. "If I want, I can lock away any memories of any individual. I can replace their memories with false ones, and I can suppress magical abilities passed down from parent to offspring. A handy trait to have, wouldn't you agree? I thought so too. Although this unique power prevented me from getting close to anyone, I was still proud of this inherited trait, until I used it on my only godchild, Lucy."

"That's a lie," Lucy suddenly snapped when she looked at the widow with a hateful glare that chilled Natsu to the bone. "It's bad enough you're telling me that my mother was a mythological dragon, but now you're telling me you used your weird mind games on me? Like hell I'll believe all this crap!"

"It's not a lie!" Izayoi shouted, her voice cracking in the middle of her protest. "A week after your mother died, I was called to the Heartfilia's mansion for the sole purpose of erasing and replacing a certain memory and locking away the power buried deep inside of you.

"I was against it, but your father told me it was for your own good. I was young and frightened, and I didn't think that what I did would be so wrong if it meant protecting you. But I was mistaken. Because I was the one who tampered with your mind, you in turn forgot who I was, and any memory relating to me was erased in the process. So many wonderful times were lost to "protect you". And why should you forget? It wasn't your fault. It wasn't-!"

"What wasn't my fault, Izayoi?" Lucy dropped the formalities so quickly she would have been surprised if she was in the position to feel anything besides frustration and anger. She took a step forward to the older woman, who now had tears running hard and fast down her cheeks.

"I went home the day I committed that terrible sin against you and Layla. I went home and did this to every single mirror in this damned house. I couldn't bear to even look at myself. Even today, I hate to see the coward I am," She paused to steady her breathing and wipe her face. "I will never forgive myself, and I will never expect you to forgive me. I accept that I will live with this sin for the rest of my days. However, I still wish to repent. If I were to open you up again, you'll have friends right behind you when you begin to change. In the end, this will all be for the better."

"Izayoi, what-?"

Layla-no, Syriah-would want this for you. I know it."

Before Lucy could even react, Izayoi reached above her head and swiped off the netted barrier that had always concealed the top half of her face. There, framed by her thick golden hair that swirled all around her pale face, a pair of large silver-blue eyes clearly reflected Lucy's own wide brown ones. Unable to even tear her gaze away, Lucy didn't see Izayoi's index and middle finger come to rest in the centre of her forehead, yet she felt it with every molecule of her being. She realized she should be panicking. She knew she should scream. But most of all, she knew that what was about to happen was something she now wanted to avoid entirely. The fear clamped down on her throat, making it impossible for her to speak, and just barely was she able to keep breathing.

She did not chant any magic words nor summon up some sort of mysterious ritual, but after muttering a final "I'm sorry" the widow mouthed a single, silent word, and Lucy's world went black. The last thing she felt was a pair of warm, strong arms wrapping themselves around her, protecting her before she could hit the floor. In that instant, Lucy Heartfilia was destroyed, broken into a million pieces that would never be found. She would never be put together again, never be the same. In that instant, Lucy Heartfilia died.

* * *

**Just so none of you decide to freak out: SHE'S NOT RLY DEAD. IT'S JUST WORDS USED IN A DRAMATIC FASHION. Not that I think you guys ****wouldn't get that, its just in case there's some younger readers out there that take things literally. Well THIS IS IT -dramatic lotr soundtrack plays- I'm totally pumped. PUMPED! Thanks so much for sticking this out with me for so long! I love you guyssss! I'll b writing the next half of this fanfic immediately, so no worries! ;) **


	18. Epilogue

Epilogue

"A car is waiting for you outside. Take Lucy and go."

Izayoi stood over Natsu, who held the unconscious celestial spirit mage securely in his arms as he looked up at the widow from where he knelt on the ground, his face stricken and his voice lost to him. The woman had turned her face away immediately after forcing Lucy into a comatose state and now had her arms wrapped around herself as her entire body shivered with violent, wracking sobs.

Natsu gathered his partner up and stood, though his legs were unstable and numb from shock. The sharp, loud bang that had filled the room when Izayoi had pressed her fingers against Lucy's forehead still continued to echo in his ears, and as hard as he now tried, he couldn't will his own hands to stop shaking.

"B-But," Natsu managed to stammer in a strange voice that wasn't his own. "Lucy…"

"Lady Heartfilia will be fine," Izayoi spoke clearly, although tears continued to fall freely down her white cheeks. "She will sleep though. For how long, I cannot say. But when she wakes, she will begin to remember. She will remember everything. And she will become stronger, much stronger."

"What's your reason though?" Natsu swallowed hard and looked down at Lucy's unguarded, relaxed expression that until then had always filled him with both the sense of happiness and sadness.

"I owe this to her, and I know that she'll need the strength someday soon. You know, don't you? That her father will be returning to his former company. He'll try to take her again, but this time, she'll be ready." A cold bitterness filled every word she spoke. "I wish I could tell you that my sole purpose for terminating the seal was because it has always been her birth-right, but that's not the case. When Judo tries to take Lady Heartfilia's happiness from her, I want her to strike him. I want her to fight back with a resolve."

"You want…revenge?" The words tumbled from Natsu's mouth in a whisper.

"Not specifically, although the idea is intriguing," A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, as though amused at an unspoken joke. "I want to give her the power her mother had intended to pass on to her, and I want her to use it. I want her to know what she's capable of. She'll finally be her mother's daughter again; the dragon's daughter."

"How strong will she get?" Natsu asked.

Izayoi sighed and clasped her hands behind her back, "Hard to say. I never saw what her mother was like when she was in her prime. When she became a member of the Love and Lucky guild, her power and life-span were already coming to an end. I never did find out how old Layla really was…"

"Do you think Lucy's mother has anything to do with the disappearance of the dragons?"

At this question, Izayoi picked up her netted hat and placed it back on her head. She turned to face Natsu, a smirk playing on her blood-red lips.

"You really do have a lot of questions, young man," She reached down and touched the side of his face. "But, if I had to guess, I would say it has everything to do with it. The answer could, in fact, be resting in your arms as we speak. The answer to all your questions. I leave my god-child in your care, Mister Dragoneel. I suggest you stick as close as possible to her. She is important to me, and from what I gather, you feel the same way."

Natsu didn't make a reply to this, and instead turned his suddenly flushed face away. Izayoi leaned down and kissed Lucy's cheek, a final tear sliding down from Izayoi's face and coming to rest beneath the young blonde's lips.

"You should go," The widow now spoke with a tone of finality. "I will pray for both your safety. If I hear anything about Judo that could prove concerning, I'll send a message of warning as soon as I can."

"Thanks," Natsu nodded.

"One more thing," Izayoi rummaged in the pocket of her dress, and brought out a heavy pouch that could only contain the payment for the completed mission. She held it out to Natsu, who shook his head hurriedly.

"We can't take that," Natsu rejected the offer immediately. "Consider it a favour from family."

"I hired you for this job, and you both did your upmost to help me. I am satisfied with your work, and I appreciate your intention, but please, take the money."

"But-!"

"Please. For her."

Natsu finally accepted the small fortune, and then proceeded downstairs, leaving Izayoi in that hated tower that even he now bore a dislike for in his heart.

The entire ride to the station, Natsu kept Lucy's head on his lap, stroking her hair as he tried not to think about anything. On the train, he slept soundly. He was tired. He didn't want to think of the future. He wanted to know everything was going to be ok when Lucy woke up. He hoped it. He prayed it. And he wanted to believe it, but the truth of reality was inescapable, no matter how hard one ignored it.

Something was about to change.

No.

Something had already changed. Something irreversible.

The entire train ride, Natsu dreamed. He dreamed of the conversation they had in that dim mansion before Izayoi had come home earlier that very day, of the words she spoke to him during the fundraising event. In his dreams he heard her voice, watched her smile, remembered her laugh, felt her touch, and became intoxicated by her scent.

He woke with a start when the train rolled into Magnolia's station. And when he opened his eyes and found Lucy lying across his lap, he also awoke to a harsh and cruel reality.

"_What now, Luce? What do we do now?"_

* * *

**IT'S OVER. Lol not really. Just the first half. I'm trying 2 decide what to call the next half of this fic. I dont rly wanna do that whole "Name PART 2". It's 2 cheesy. and not very appealing. So I'll be thinking of that tonight as I go 2 sleep and then probably wake up at some weird hour with a great idea, which I will promptly forget by the time I get to a computer. I will then rage at myself until I rememberit. Anyway, again, thanks so much for reading! Mwah! Mwah! Until next time! Message me if you want to be friends on FB or Tumblr or Youtube of whatever :) **_  
_


End file.
